March 27, 2023
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Emergency SOS via satellite is available today on the iPhone 14 lineup in Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Portugal.
iPhone 14 users can now call emergency services when cellular and Wi-Fi coverage is not available
Apple's leading safety service, Emergency SOS via satellite, is available starting today to customers in Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Portugal. This innovative technology, available on all iPhone 14 models, allows users to send messages to emergency services outside cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. Additionally, if users want to reassure friends and family about their whereabouts while traveling in an area with no cell coverage or Wi-Fi, they can now open the Find My app and share their location via satellite.
Each model in the iPhone 14 lineup – iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max – can connect directly to satellite through a combination of specially designed hardware components and deeply integrated software. Emergency SOS via Satellite builds on existing features vital to iPhone users, including Emergency SOS, Medical ID, Emergency Contacts and Share My Location, providing the ability to connect to satellite to share important information with emergency services, family and friends. This game-changing service connects users to Relay Centers staffed with Apple-trained emergency specialists ready to call Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) — or emergency services call centers — on the user's behalf to get the help they need. Since its launch in Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, the UK and the US late last year, the satellite emergency SOS service has already helped save lives. The service is free for two years, starting from the time the new iPhone 14 model is activated.1
“The emergency SOS satellite service is a great example of technology that can keep our citizens safe,” said Jan van Losbroek, Director of the Dutch National Control Room Organization. “The ability to use a satellite connection to call 112 when there is no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage is an important improvement that Apple has made available with iPhone 14.”
How does the satellite emergency SOS system work?
iPhone can already quickly and easily call emergency services if the user needs help, even if they can't call 112, by pressing and holding the side button on one of the volume buttons until the Emergency SOS slider appears. With the Emergency SOS via Satellite feature, an easy-to-use interface appears on iPhone to get the user help using the satellite connection if they are unable to reach emergency services due to lack of cellular or Wi-Fi coverage. The short questionnaire appears to help the user answer vital questions with a few simple clicks, which is sent to the senders in the initial message, to ensure that they are able to quickly understand the user's status and location. Apple worked closely with experts to review standard questions and protocols to identify the most common reasons for calling emergency services.
After the survey, the intuitive interface guides the user to where their iPhone points in the sky to connect and send the initial message. This message includes user survey answers; Location, including height; iPhone battery level; And medical ID, if enabled. The text can also be shared with Relay Center specialists along with the user's emergency contacts to keep them informed.2
The satellites move fast, have low bandwidth, and are located more than a thousand kilometers from Earth, so it may take a few minutes for SMS to arrive. Apple designed and manufactured custom components and software that allow the iPhone 14 to connect to the satellite's unique frequencies without a bulky antenna. A text compression algorithm has also been developed to reduce the average message size by 3x, making the experience as fast as possible. With Emergency SOS via satellite, users can send and receive messages in less than 15 seconds in clear conditions.3 Using the built-in Emergency SOS feature via Satellite View, users can test the satellite connection on their iPhone by connecting to a real satellite in range without contacting emergency services, allowing them to experience the process and become familiar with the service.
For users who are out of range of a cellular or Wi-Fi network but not experiencing an emergency, this advanced technology also allows them to share their location via satellite with Find My. In the Find My app, users can open the Me tab, swipe up to see my satellite location, and tap Send My Location. The satellite calling in the iPhone 14 lineup also works with other security features available on iPhone and Apple Watch, including crash detection and drop detection.
Availability
- Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourgtea HollandAnd Portugal joins Canada, France, Germany, Irelandtea United kingdomand the we Currently, Emergency SOS via satellite and Find My feature are available via satellite.
- Satellite Emergency SOS and Satellite Location feature requires iOS 16.4 for users on Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourgtea HollandAnd Portugal. With iOS 16.4, users who call a local emergency service number will be automatically directed to 112, the European emergency phone number, if the call doesn't go through due to no cellular or Wi-Fi connection, enabling them to use Emergency SOS via satellite even if they don't call With number 112.
- Users who purchased the iPhone 14 model before the emergency SOS satellite service availability date will receive two years of service for free starting from the service availability date.
- Up to 10 emergency contacts using iOS 16.1 or later and iMessage will be able to see the user's location, the type of emergency, and a live transcript of their conversation with emergency services. Non-iPhone emergency contacts, and iPhone users who aren't using iOS 16.1 or later or iMessage, will see the user's location and emergency type. The user can choose to stop sharing their information with the emergency contact at any time. In order to reach the relay center or dispatcher closest to the user, location information will also be shared with Apple.
- Contact and response times vary based on location, site conditions and other factors. be seen support.apple.com/kb/HT213426 for more information.
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