Apple breaks the silence and gets more specific
There was long speculation about this in the run-up to the iPhone 14, then Apple made the announcement come true, but limited what is probably the most blatant feature of the iPhone 14 to the USA and Canada. The new service “Emergency SOS via satellite” starts there today. Apple is now also revealing when this can be expected in this country.
In emergency situations where there is no cellular signal or Wi-Fi, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max can be backed up to a satellite connection access and stuff like that Emergency SOS drop. The new service was not yet available when the new cell phones went on sale. But now this is starting in the USA and Canada, as Apple announced in a press release (source: Apple).
iPhone 14: Emergency SOS via satellite from December here too
Apple’s Find My app also supports the new feature. Users can use their Location by satellite Share with friends and family while traveling outside of the regular cellular network. They also know where to find loved ones in an emergency. System requirement for both functions is iOS 16.1 or newer.
This is how the emergency call via satellite works on the iPhone:
As early as September, Apple promised that other countries would also receive the life-saving feature of the iPhone 14 in 2022, but refrained from making explicit announcements. Now the iPhone manufacturer is getting more specific in the said press release for the first time. This is how “emergency call SOS via satellite in December of this year also in Germany, France, Great Britain and Ireland will be rolled out. Apple does not name an exact date, so in theory there is still time until December 31, 2022 at the latest.
A welcome turn of events given previous negative examples of internationalization at Apple. Take Apple Pay, for example. German users had to wait more than four years for the smartphone payment service, but Apple’s own credit card “Apple Card” (launched in summer 2019) is still not available from us today.
For extreme situations, one or the other user might also want a more robust iPhone – so far only a dream:
Emergency call service free of charge for two years
Important to know: From the time of activation, the emergency call SOS service via satellite can be used free of charge for two years. At latest From 2024 Apple wants to make money with it, but is still silent on the costs. The actual calculation has probably yet to be made. Apple does not want to commit itself at the moment and has set itself a deadline of up to two years.
