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New iPhones include satellite SOS and location features. The monthly cost has not been announced yet, all phones with this feature are still in the 2-year free

New iPhones include satellite SOS and location features. The monthly cost has not been announced yet, all phones with this feature are still in the 2-year free trial period. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213426 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213426 https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/send-your-location-via-satellite-iph2aac8ae20/ios https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/send-your-location-vi...

drunner 3y ago
SOS only being a key point I missed in my first post. Yes, thankfully they are launching it, but SOS only is a drag.
- coder543 3y ago
  It’s not SOS only. You can also update your location in the Find My app, so your friends/family can keep track of you on a backpacking trip. With iPhone 15, they also introduced the ability to call for roadside assistance from AAA via satellite too. (I’m not sure if this is also available on 14 now or not.)
  - kccqzy 3y ago
    Are you sure Find My uses satellite connectivity? I don't think so. Apple says this https://www.apple.com/icloud/find-my/ https://www.apple.com/icloud/find-my/ > If your missing device can’t connect to the internet or has little to no battery life, the Find My app can still help you track it down using the Find My network — hundreds of millions of iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices around the world. So this isn't going to help you in the wilderness.
    - pests 3y ago
      https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/send-your-location-via-satellite-iph2aac8ae20/ios https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/send-your-location-vi... The passage you quoted is talking about the iDevice-to-iDevice communication that can happen behind the scenes allowing you to find a lost phone in the wilderness if someone else so happens to walk by the phone.
    - virtuallynathan 3y ago
      It does, you can update it via Satellite. I've done it... (it's a manually triggered operation)
    - robbiet480 3y ago
      Yes, you can update your Find My location via satellite https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/send-your-location-via-satellite-iph2aac8ae20/ios https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/send-your-location-vi...
  - freeAgent 3y ago
    14s got it too. Neat! https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213886 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213886
- stetrain 3y ago
  Yeah, they are slowly rolling out new features like this year they added roadside assistance requests. Having a limited number of plain text message requests would be nice as well, maybe there will be more options once they add paid tiers.
Xeamek 3y ago
Can probably expect Android devices to follow soon https://semiconductor.samsung.com/news-events/news/samsung-electronics-introduces-standardized-5g-ntn-modem-technology-to-power-smartphone-satellite-communication/ https://semiconductor.samsung.com/news-events/news/samsung-e...
- lxgr 3y ago
  It seems like from a purely technical point of view, Qualcomm got the best deal in this space (i.e. one with Iridium, which is currently the only provider with 100% global coverage): https://www.qualcomm.com/news/releases/2023/01/qualcomm-introduces-snapdragon-satellite--the-world-s-first-sate https://www.qualcomm.com/news/releases/2023/01/qualcomm-intr...
frederikvs 3y ago
There's a recent article about a climber who had to use this iPhone SOS feature. Turns out that actually getting in contact with emergency services is not easy - even though the satellite communications worked perfectly. There was a lot of back and forth over the system, but it did not help at all. The thing that saved her was one 40 character message to a friend. Because apparently you get one of those, and no replies... https://www.climbing.com/news/iphone-sos-button-saves-injured-climber/ https://www.climbing.com/news/iphone-sos-button-saves-injure...
- ghaff 3y ago
  Sounds like the phone SOS service doesn't really have its act together yet based on that sample size of one.
- hcurtiss 3y ago
  My wife and I and our two kids do a fair amount of back-country white water rafting. After arriving at a very remote take-out with no car and no cell service after a five day float (and running low on food and water), we went ahead and bought an actual satellite phone. It’s a game changer. Cost about $400 used and we have it refreshing quarterly on BlueCosmo for $99. It’s awesome, and cheap insurance relative to the risk.
  - pnpnp 3y ago
    $99 quarterly sounds like a good deal - was this with Iridium? That's unfortunately the only network that works well for my use-case. I currently pay for an inReach Messenger, and use it on a weekly basis. The $12/mo base cost is peanuts for what it actually provides me.
    - hcurtiss 3y ago
      No, it's Inmarsat (IsatPhone 2).
      - pnpnp 3y ago
crossroadsguy 3y ago
Whenever I hear of this feature on an iPhone I think of the stellar iPhone battery life while it has probably generously been used for photos and location services etc.

drunner 3y ago

SOS only being a key point I missed in my first post. Yes, thankfully they are launching it, but SOS only is a drag.

coder543 3y ago
It’s not SOS only. You can also update your location in the Find My app, so your friends/family can keep track of you on a backpacking trip. With iPhone 15, they also introduced the ability to call for roadside assistance from AAA via satellite too. (I’m not sure if this is also available on 14 now or not.)
- kccqzy 3y ago
  Are you sure Find My uses satellite connectivity? I don't think so. Apple says this https://www.apple.com/icloud/find-my/ https://www.apple.com/icloud/find-my/ > If your missing device can’t connect to the internet or has little to no battery life, the Find My app can still help you track it down using the Find My network — hundreds of millions of iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices around the world. So this isn't going to help you in the wilderness.
  - pests 3y ago
    https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/send-your-location-via-satellite-iph2aac8ae20/ios https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/send-your-location-vi... The passage you quoted is talking about the iDevice-to-iDevice communication that can happen behind the scenes allowing you to find a lost phone in the wilderness if someone else so happens to walk by the phone.
  - virtuallynathan 3y ago
    It does, you can update it via Satellite. I've done it... (it's a manually triggered operation)
  - robbiet480 3y ago
    Yes, you can update your Find My location via satellite https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/send-your-location-via-satellite-iph2aac8ae20/ios https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/send-your-location-vi...
- freeAgent 3y ago
  14s got it too. Neat! https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213886 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213886
stetrain 3y ago
Yeah, they are slowly rolling out new features like this year they added roadside assistance requests. Having a limited number of plain text message requests would be nice as well, maybe there will be more options once they add paid tiers.

Xeamek 3y ago

Can probably expect Android devices to follow soon https://semiconductor.samsung.com/news-events/news/samsung-electronics-introduces-standardized-5g-ntn-modem-technology-to-power-smartphone-satellite-communication/ https://semiconductor.samsung.com/news-events/news/samsung-e...

lxgr 3y ago
It seems like from a purely technical point of view, Qualcomm got the best deal in this space (i.e. one with Iridium, which is currently the only provider with 100% global coverage): https://www.qualcomm.com/news/releases/2023/01/qualcomm-introduces-snapdragon-satellite--the-world-s-first-sate https://www.qualcomm.com/news/releases/2023/01/qualcomm-intr...

frederikvs 3y ago

There's a recent article about a climber who had to use this iPhone SOS feature. Turns out that actually getting in contact with emergency services is not easy - even though the satellite communications worked perfectly. There was a lot of back and forth over the system, but it did not help at all. The thing that saved her was one 40 character message to a friend. Because apparently you get one of those, and no replies... https://www.climbing.com/news/iphone-sos-button-saves-injured-climber/ https://www.climbing.com/news/iphone-sos-button-saves-injure...

ghaff 3y ago
Sounds like the phone SOS service doesn't really have its act together yet based on that sample size of one.
hcurtiss 3y ago
My wife and I and our two kids do a fair amount of back-country white water rafting. After arriving at a very remote take-out with no car and no cell service after a five day float (and running low on food and water), we went ahead and bought an actual satellite phone. It’s a game changer. Cost about $400 used and we have it refreshing quarterly on BlueCosmo for $99. It’s awesome, and cheap insurance relative to the risk.
- pnpnp 3y ago
  $99 quarterly sounds like a good deal - was this with Iridium? That's unfortunately the only network that works well for my use-case. I currently pay for an inReach Messenger, and use it on a weekly basis. The $12/mo base cost is peanuts for what it actually provides me.
  - hcurtiss 3y ago
    No, it's Inmarsat (IsatPhone 2).
    - pnpnp 3y ago

crossroadsguy 3y ago

Whenever I hear of this feature on an iPhone I think of the stellar iPhone battery life while it has probably generously been used for photos and location services etc.