Emergency SOS via satellite, one of the safety-focused features introduced in the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro series, is now available in the US and Canada. The service will be available in France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK in December. It is included in the purchase of a newly activated iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max for the first two years.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Emergency SOS via Satellite allows all four members of the iPhone 14 family to contact emergency services by connecting to available satellite services when there is no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage. Users can also share their location via satellite using the Find My app. There is a demo mode for users to test satellite connectivity within range, without ringing emergency services on their device.
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To optimize the feature, all iPhone 14 models are fitted with custom-designed components and deeply integrated software (requires iOS 16.1). Help requests are processed through Globalstar’s 24 satellites in low-earth orbit and related to strategic ground stations around the world. They are then forwarded to emergency services via text messages to dispatch help or to a relay centre with Apple-trained emergency specialists where local emergency services are unreachable.
Apple recently invested $450 million from its Advanced Manufacturing Fund towards the development of equipment and infrastructure required for satellite communication. A huge chunk of the fund will go to US-based Globalstar to further develop its satellite network and ground stations.