Emergency SOS through Satellite Mode is a brand-new function available on the recently released Apple iPhone 14 range. The SOS mode is a standard feature on almost all smartphones on the market, but the one found in the new iPhone 14 series is more advanced. The new iPhones’ satellite-based SOS capability had previously gone live in the US and Canada. The feature is currently accessible in a few chosen countries in Europe, the brand has now been publicly announced.
When cellular or Wi-Fi access is unavailable, the function enables iPhone owners to send messages—rather than traditional phone calls—to emergency services in order to assist them. The iPhone 14 will urge you to “Report Emergency” and will present you with a questionnaire to gather information about your condition after you attempt to call emergency services the conventional method but are unsuccessful. Your location, altitude, iPhone battery life, and your Medical ID will be submitted together with your responses to the questionnaire (if available). Notifying your emergency contacts is another possibility.
The ground stations and satellite network of Globalstar received significant enhancements thanks to the Cupertino company. As a result, the new iPhone 14 Emergency SOS service will be supported by nearly 300 Globalstar employees. According to Apple, Emergency SOS uses a band designated for mobile satellite services. The total amount Apple spent on the Emergency SOS programme was $450 million. The majority of such money was used to build the feature’s infrastructure in association with satellite service provider Globalstar.
Next year, more countries will receive Emergency SOS through satellite, according to Apple. With the purchase of a compatible iPhone 14 (including the 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, and 14 Pro Max), two years of the service are free. It is not yet known how much the service will cost once those two years have passed. There is a demo mode you may utilise to become accustomed to the feature if you want to test it out but aren’t currently in an emergency.
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- Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite feature for the iPhone 14 series now rolling out in some regions
