iPhone 14 emergency SOS via satellite could come to more countries soon
Apple's new satellite connectivity debuted with the iPhone 14 this September. The feature is planned to be released first in the US and Canada from November 2022. The potentially lifesaving feature may come to more countries soon after the initial launch as a recent report suggests. NextPit will tell you in this article where and when you can use it.
TL;DR
- iPhone 14's satellite feature is launching first in the US and Canada in November.
- Apple is rumored to expand the availability to other countries at the end of 2022.
- The service is free for two years, but the future cost is not yet revealed.
Integrated into the Emergency SOS and Crash Detection on the iPhone 14 series (comparison), the function utilizes satellite connection to contact authorities during emergencies and in places where WiFi or cellular networks are unavailable. You'll also be able to share your location with select contacts through the Find My app.
What iPhone models are supported with Emergency SOS via satellite?
Currently, only the iPhone 14 (Plus) and iPhone 14 Pro (Max) series are supported. The feature is not even available to the latest Watch Ultra and Watch Series 8, but it will also come to later iPhone models like iPhone 15. You can find the list of compatible devices below.
- iPhone 14
- iPhone 14 Plus
- iPhone 14 Pro
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
Countries where iPhone emergency satellite connectivity is available
Apple confirmed that the service will launch first in the US and Canada starting in November. The company didn't specify yet on which exact date in November the feature will be available for users of the said markets. We'll update the list below once more countries are added.
- USA
- Canada
- Germany
- France
- Ireland
- UK
- Austria
- Luxemborg
- The Netherlands
- Belgium
- Italy
- Portugal
As for other countries, Apple has yet to announce the availability outside the stateside. However, an Apple representative confirmed with MacPrime, that emergency satellite connectivity could arrive in further regions as early as this year. We'll update this section as soon as new details are available.
How much will it cost and what will happen if you don't have a plan?
Apple has partnered with Globalstar in providing constellation-like coverage and to serve the most remote places on earth. Moreover, the service is said to be free for the first two years. But it's still a question of what will happen if you don't have a subscription and you need to use the feature.
How much are you willing to pay for these features? Let us know in the comments below!
Via: 9to5Mac
