Apple is bringing its new SOS emergency feature via satellite connectivity to the iPhone 14 series this week
This week, Apple will release its new SOS emergency function for the iPhone 14 series, which will be accessible via satellite connectivity. Starting on Tuesday, the service will be accessible to users in both the United States and Canada. The next month will see Apple bringing this capability to owners of the iPhone 14 in the countries of France, Germany, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
Apple claims that all of the iPhone 14 models, including the iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Plus, the iPhone 14 Pro, and the iPhone 14 Pro Max, are compatible with the software that is required to run this newly developed function. “Emergency SOS via satellite builds on existing features vital to iPhone users, including Emergency SOS, Medical ID, emergency contacts, and Find My Location sharing, offering the ability to connect to a satellite,” Apple states in its blog post.
An interface will appear on the screen of an iPhone 14 used by a person who is in a location where there is neither a network signal nor a Wi-Fi connection. It will ask the person to describe the emergency, which might be anything from being stranded to being lost or any number of other things. It may have something to do with the rugged terrain, the cave, or the water. According to Apple, you can aim the iPhone towards the sky, and it will automatically hunt for a satellite that is available in the area and attempt to connect to it.
Now, in order for the user to send and receive the message, Apple will instruct the user to point the iPhone 14 at a satellite. You can also inform them of who specifically requires assistance and transmit information regarding any potential injuries that may have occurred. Apple has made its own hardware and software to make sure that the iPhone can receive satellite signals without a bulky antenna.
According to Apple, the message can be delivered and received in approximately 15 seconds when the conditions are clear. This function, which integrates with the Find My app to determine a person’s whereabouts in the event that they become trapped in a natural disaster, can be of critical importance to such individuals. “The satellite connection on the iPhone 14 lineup also works with other safety features available on iPhone and Apple Watch, including crash detection and fall detection,” the post adds.
Both of these features require an iPhone in order to operate on the iOS 16.1 version; however, at the moment, the technology can only be used with the most recent iPhone 14 series models. According to Apple, the SOS feature will be provided free of charge for a period of two years, which will begin on the day that you activate your iPhone 14 model.