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Apple’s satellite emergency SOS feature: A review and deep-dive explainer

63 points by hnburnsy 4y ago

gamblor956 4y ago
EDIT: Apparently the service didn't actually launch until today, despite Apple advertising it for several months. Keeping comment as originally posted for posterity. However, if this is as half-assed as Apple Crash Detection, expect it to work about 1/10th the time. A few weeks ago had experience with this up in the Mt Baldy area of Los Angeles. During inclement weather, a hiker in another group slipped on the Devil's Backbone and tried to use Apple's Emergency SOS because their phone did not have cell signal. It didn't work. We ended up letting the Mt Baldy staff know about the hiker when we got to the Baldy Lodge. We asked them whether emergency services had received the SOS, and they said it hadn't. And they would know, since emergency services would have contacted them to conduct the rescue. Long story short: Don't trust SOS. It doesn't work when you actually need it to work. And when it does work, you could have just called 911 directly.
- bonyt 4y ago
  But wait, I thought the new satellite SOS feature launched today? Was this during some kind of beta test?
  - dboreham 4y ago
    "Launch" means press whooha.
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
- connordoner 4y ago
  It's only just launched today, which I imagine would go some way towards explaining that. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/11/emergency-sos-via-satellite-available-today-on-iphone-14-lineup/ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/11/emergency-sos-via-sat...
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
- wstrange 4y ago
  From the article: "Apple says that the main limitation here is that the antenna to satellite connection simply isn’t as strong as dedicated satellite devices, for example a Garmin inReach or SPOT tracker" So don't give up your inreach just yet.
  - bparsons 4y ago
    Also, an external GPS communicator has the benefit of having an extraordinarily long life. You can leave breadcrumbs for days, send a few text messages, and always have juice for an SOS if you are deep into the backcountry. The Apple SOS is likely going to be used by day hikers and dog walkers who aren't anticipating any real challenges.
  - reaperducer 4y ago
    So don't give up your inreach just yet It seems to me that if you're the sort of person with the foresight and self-awareness to own something like an inreach, the Apple product isn't for you. You already know the hazards of life beyond the asphalt. I think this will be very useful for the hundreds of tourists who find themselves stranded or dead in places like the Mojave Desert because they think Google Maps or gospel, or they are wannabe social media personalities desperate for attention, or people who are just generally clueless.
- ghaff 4y ago
  Starting with iOS 16(?), an iPhone going back to at least the iPhone 13 will display SOS if there's no signal from your wireless carrier but the phone "thinks" it can make an emergency call on an alternate carrier. But, presumably, that signal may be weak and may not work. Perhaps that's what happened here.
xrayarx 4y ago
Dc Rainmaker was able to test the system for real. Very informative. Includes step by step screen shots. A few interesting things: - only works in North America and a few US territories - doesn’t work above 62 deg north - works with any iPhone 14 NOT bought in China - doesn’t work in international waters - Going to work in Germany, France, UK, Ireland in December - includes a demo mode so everyone can try
- taldo 4y ago
  nit: it probably works above 62 deg North, only that due to lower satellite density it'll take longer to push/pull the bytes [citation needed]
  - s0rce 4y ago
    Doesn't the globalstar network have pretty poor polar coverage, not sure what the actual latitude is though.
- rootusrootus 4y ago
  > doesn’t work above 62 deg north That's worth noting. Anchorage is just north of 61N.
jaywalk 4y ago
I didn't know they'd have a demo mode. I just tried it out inside my house, and it actually works. Pretty incredible.
js2 4y ago
DC Rainmaker lives in Amsterdam. I was curious where he tested this since I don't see it in the article. One of the screen shots[1] shows a lat/long of 40.66363°N, 73.97280°W which is the location of Prospect Park in Brooklyn NY[2]. https://media.dcrainmaker.com/images/2022/11/AppleiPhoneSatelliteSOS-FindMyManual.png https://media.dcrainmaker.com/images/2022/11/AppleiPhoneSate... https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=40.66363°N%2C%2073.97280°W https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=40.66363°N%2C%2073.972...
eminence32 4y ago
Neat that you initiate a SOS by dialing 911. This seems like a good way to ensure that the system is really only used for emergencies. In general, I would expect that talking to a human 911 operator is going to be preferable to talking to an Apple SOS operator. But I wonder about edge cases where your cell connection isn't really strong enough for reliable voice comms -- would you be able to switch over to the text-based satellite SOS comms?
dang 4y ago
Ongoing related thread: Emergency SOS via satellite - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33608671 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33608671 - Nov 2022 (243 comments)
chayesfss 4y ago
Was driving through snow in a plaid x on 22’s last night in Jackson, WY. I had 0° sleeping bag and everything with me but I was out of range and instantly saw the personal value in this for people
- ghaff 4y ago
  It wouldn't surprise me if there was as much value from this for people going off the road, breaking down, hitting a deer, etc. on some remote section of road--especially in cold (or very hot) weather--as there necessarily is for people hiking.
oxfeed65261 4y ago
Interesting note for users of all iPhones (not just iPhone 14): > Dialing 911 on an iPhone actually does some interesting stuff in the background. Unlike a normal call to your friends, dialing 911 elevates the iPhone to go beyond your carrier’s cell towers. So, even if your phone says it doesn’t have signal – that means it doesn’t have signal from your specific carrier. But when you dial 911 (even today on an iPhone), it forces it to any carrier tower that might be nearby, regardless of your carrier plan. Really nicely written and informative article!
- iudqnolq 4y ago
  Note this is true for all phones

63 points by hnburnsy 4y ago

EDIT: Apparently the service didn't actually launch until today, despite Apple advertising it for several months. Keeping comment as originally posted for posterity. However, if this is as half-assed as Apple Crash Detection, expect it to work about 1/10th the time. A few weeks ago had experience with this up in the Mt Baldy area of Los Angeles. During inclement weather, a hiker in another group slipped on the Devil's Backbone and tried to use Apple's Emergency SOS because their phone did not have cell signal. It didn't work. We ended up letting the Mt Baldy staff know about the hiker when we got to the Baldy Lodge. We asked them whether emergency services had received the SOS, and they said it hadn't. And they would know, since emergency services would have contacted them to conduct the rescue. Long story short: Don't trust SOS. It doesn't work when you actually need it to work. And when it does work, you could have just called 911 directly.

bonyt 4y ago
But wait, I thought the new satellite SOS feature launched today? Was this during some kind of beta test?
- dboreham 4y ago
  "Launch" means press whooha.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
connordoner 4y ago
It's only just launched today, which I imagine would go some way towards explaining that. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/11/emergency-sos-via-satellite-available-today-on-iphone-14-lineup/ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/11/emergency-sos-via-sat...
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
wstrange 4y ago
From the article: "Apple says that the main limitation here is that the antenna to satellite connection simply isn’t as strong as dedicated satellite devices, for example a Garmin inReach or SPOT tracker" So don't give up your inreach just yet.
- bparsons 4y ago
  Also, an external GPS communicator has the benefit of having an extraordinarily long life. You can leave breadcrumbs for days, send a few text messages, and always have juice for an SOS if you are deep into the backcountry. The Apple SOS is likely going to be used by day hikers and dog walkers who aren't anticipating any real challenges.
- reaperducer 4y ago
  So don't give up your inreach just yet It seems to me that if you're the sort of person with the foresight and self-awareness to own something like an inreach, the Apple product isn't for you. You already know the hazards of life beyond the asphalt. I think this will be very useful for the hundreds of tourists who find themselves stranded or dead in places like the Mojave Desert because they think Google Maps or gospel, or they are wannabe social media personalities desperate for attention, or people who are just generally clueless.
ghaff 4y ago
Starting with iOS 16(?), an iPhone going back to at least the iPhone 13 will display SOS if there's no signal from your wireless carrier but the phone "thinks" it can make an emergency call on an alternate carrier. But, presumably, that signal may be weak and may not work. Perhaps that's what happened here.

xrayarx 4y ago

Dc Rainmaker was able to test the system for real. Very informative. Includes step by step screen shots. A few interesting things: - only works in North America and a few US territories - doesn’t work above 62 deg north - works with any iPhone 14 NOT bought in China - doesn’t work in international waters - Going to work in Germany, France, UK, Ireland in December - includes a demo mode so everyone can try

taldo 4y ago
nit: it probably works above 62 deg North, only that due to lower satellite density it'll take longer to push/pull the bytes [citation needed]
- s0rce 4y ago
  Doesn't the globalstar network have pretty poor polar coverage, not sure what the actual latitude is though.
rootusrootus 4y ago
> doesn’t work above 62 deg north That's worth noting. Anchorage is just north of 61N.

jaywalk 4y ago

I didn't know they'd have a demo mode. I just tried it out inside my house, and it actually works. Pretty incredible.

js2 4y ago

DC Rainmaker lives in Amsterdam. I was curious where he tested this since I don't see it in the article. One of the screen shots[1] shows a lat/long of 40.66363°N, 73.97280°W which is the location of Prospect Park in Brooklyn NY[2]. https://media.dcrainmaker.com/images/2022/11/AppleiPhoneSatelliteSOS-FindMyManual.png https://media.dcrainmaker.com/images/2022/11/AppleiPhoneSate... https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=40.66363°N%2C%2073.97280°W https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=40.66363°N%2C%2073.972...

eminence32 4y ago

Neat that you initiate a SOS by dialing 911. This seems like a good way to ensure that the system is really only used for emergencies. In general, I would expect that talking to a human 911 operator is going to be preferable to talking to an Apple SOS operator. But I wonder about edge cases where your cell connection isn't really strong enough for reliable voice comms -- would you be able to switch over to the text-based satellite SOS comms?

dang 4y ago

Ongoing related thread: Emergency SOS via satellite - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33608671 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33608671 - Nov 2022 (243 comments)

chayesfss 4y ago

Was driving through snow in a plaid x on 22’s last night in Jackson, WY. I had 0° sleeping bag and everything with me but I was out of range and instantly saw the personal value in this for people

ghaff 4y ago
It wouldn't surprise me if there was as much value from this for people going off the road, breaking down, hitting a deer, etc. on some remote section of road--especially in cold (or very hot) weather--as there necessarily is for people hiking.

oxfeed65261 4y ago

Interesting note for users of all iPhones (not just iPhone 14): > Dialing 911 on an iPhone actually does some interesting stuff in the background. Unlike a normal call to your friends, dialing 911 elevates the iPhone to go beyond your carrier’s cell towers. So, even if your phone says it doesn’t have signal – that means it doesn’t have signal from your specific carrier. But when you dial 911 (even today on an iPhone), it forces it to any carrier tower that might be nearby, regardless of your carrier plan. Really nicely written and informative article!

iudqnolq 4y ago
Note this is true for all phones