Apple has announced through its official press that its Emergency SOS via satellite feature for the iPhone 14 will start rolling out today. The company earlier stated that the feature is expected to launch in November for U.S. and Canada-based iPhone users.
To Start Using the Feature, Users Need to Install iOS 16.1 on Their iPhones
For the time being, Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite will only be available in the U.S. and Canada. Fortunately, the company has been reported to introduce the feature to other countries in the near future. Greg Joswiak, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, believes that this addition should make lives easier for iPhone users.
“Some of the most popular places to travel are off the beaten path and simply lack cellular coverage. With Emergency SOS via satellite, the iPhone 14 lineup provides an indispensable tool that can get users the help they need while they are off the grid. Our teams worked tirelessly to tackle a new set of technical challenges to bring this service to life, in addition to building a reliable on-the-ground infrastructure. Emergency SOS via satellite is a breakthrough service available only on the iPhone 14 lineup, and a new innovation that we hope will provide our customers some peace of mind.”
The feature will be free for two years, after which Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite will start charging customers. Unfortunately, the company has not specified if iPhone users will have to pay a monthly or yearly subscription, so such elusive details will be provided later. As for how all of this materialized, Apple partnered with Globalstar, a global satellite communications company, and the latter agreed to allocate 85 percent of its current and future network capacity to support iPhone 14 models. The infrastructure is expected to expand when future iPhone models support the feature.
With its latest partnership, Apple invested $450 million to bring its Emergency SOS via satellite feature to the masses, which would explain why it is only free for two years since the technology giant needs some way to recoup its investment. To get it working, iPhone 14 users will need to install iOS 16.1 and have a direct view of the sky and the horizon, with little to no obstacles blocking their path, otherwise, it will take much longer for satellite communication to commence. It can take around 15 seconds to send messages in ideal conditions, so you will need to have realistic expectations if you are stuck in an unfavorable predicament.
If you want to learn in-depth on how the feature works, make sure to read our detailed explanatory article on how Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite functions and what kind of limitations you can face when using it for the first time.
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