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No, it's because there's usually an emergency call button of some kind (so the towers can route your call based on location, iirc), you're not actually entering

by lotyrin 13y ago

No, it's because there's usually an emergency call button of some kind (so the towers can route your call based on location, iirc), you're not actually entering the sequence "911". No touchtone phone I've seen has a big red "911" autodial button. Also, the devices are used for entertainment, even if you did give a toddler a touchtone phone as a toy, you'd disconnect it from the line.

BHSPitMonkey 13y ago
The emergency call button brings up a standard dialer keypad. It does not dial 911 for you. It would be crazy if it did, since emergency numbers vary wildly by locale.
- furyofantares 13y ago
  Could be useful for travelers, so I guess fear of butt dials/kid dials must be the reason it isn't implemented.
- andrewaylett 13y ago
  Here in the UK, our emergency number is 999. Or you can dial 112, as that's the European standard, and we'd be daft not to implement it even if we hadn't agreed to do so. Alternatively, try dialling 911, which I understand also works and which was introduced to help children who grew up with US TV. In any case, the phone won't actually dial the number even if you do type it in -- if you dial what it thinks is an emergency number, it initiates the emergency call setup, which is what lets you dial without a SIM and on a different providers' network. So a dedicated button is all that's required. This does mean that there's a possibility that my phone and the PSTN disagree over what constitutes an emergency network, but as the phone gets its numbers from the SIM, which comes from my provider, which is regulated by the same people as make the rules for the PSTN, it seems likely that all the options will work. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_telephone_number https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_telephone_number
aninhumer 13y ago
Where on earth did you get that idea? I've never owned a smartphone with a button like that.

by lotyrin 13y ago

BHSPitMonkey 13y ago

The emergency call button brings up a standard dialer keypad. It does not dial 911 for you. It would be crazy if it did, since emergency numbers vary wildly by locale.

furyofantares 13y ago
Could be useful for travelers, so I guess fear of butt dials/kid dials must be the reason it isn't implemented.
andrewaylett 13y ago
Here in the UK, our emergency number is 999. Or you can dial 112, as that's the European standard, and we'd be daft not to implement it even if we hadn't agreed to do so. Alternatively, try dialling 911, which I understand also works and which was introduced to help children who grew up with US TV. In any case, the phone won't actually dial the number even if you do type it in -- if you dial what it thinks is an emergency number, it initiates the emergency call setup, which is what lets you dial without a SIM and on a different providers' network. So a dedicated button is all that's required. This does mean that there's a possibility that my phone and the PSTN disagree over what constitutes an emergency network, but as the phone gets its numbers from the SIM, which comes from my provider, which is regulated by the same people as make the rules for the PSTN, it seems likely that all the options will work. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_telephone_number https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_telephone_number

aninhumer 13y ago

Where on earth did you get that idea? I've never owned a smartphone with a button like that.