There were already rumors last year that Apple wanted to equip its iPhones with satellite communications. But it finally took until the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro presented this week for the implementation to come. The feature has its peculiarities and is only intended for special cases, and it will initially only be available in a few markets. Here is an overview of what works and what doesn’t.
When there is no other help
Apple explicitly names the new satellite communication for the iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max as an emergency call feature – the full name is “Emergency SOS via Satellite”. So you can’t just surf or make phone calls via satellite in areas that aren’t covered by the mobile network. Instead, it is a messaging feature based on text messages. Apple first passes these through a special compression algorithm so that as little satellite bandwidth as possible is required.
If you are outside a zone with cell phone reception, you can activate Emergency SOS via Satellite. This should be activated from November 2022 via a software update for iOS 16. Initially, satellite communications will only be available in the United States (including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, but not Guam and American Samoa) and Canada. Apple has not yet revealed when other regions of the world will be covered. International travelers can use the feature, but not if they purchased their iPhone 14 in mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau. In addition, certain northern regions of Canada and Alaska may not have satellite access – regions above a latitude of 62 degrees are not covered.
Satellite search by iPhone screen
In order to use Emergency SOS via Satellite, you must first establish contact with the satellite. This is only possible outdoors. Apple has given the iPhone its own interface to help align the iPhone correctly. There must also be a clear view of the sky and horizon. It is best not to stand under trees, mountains and other high structures can also block the signal.
Once the connection is established, you can start communicating. This is done via the Messages app. Apple has included a questionnaire with which you should be able to describe your emergency more quickly. In addition, the location and height of the casualty are transmitted, as is the remaining battery life. Communication with the emergency services is also possible, they can reply via iMessage. The system should be designed in such a way that it also works if an emergency call center does not have the option of textual communication. Apple then converts text to speech. US English, US Spanish, and Canadian French are initially supported. Sending a message can take up to 15 seconds, in the worst case even more than a minute.
Technical background unclear
Apple has not yet communicated which technical basis the company uses. It is believed to be the Globalstar satellite platform. Elon Musk, head of Tesla, SpaceX and the satellite internet provider Starlink, says he has “promising talks” led with Apple. However, nothing has come of it so far. But the iPhone team is “super smart,” according to Musk.
In addition to the emergency call function, satellite radio on iPhone 14 and Co. can also be used for another function: sending the current position data via Apple’s “Where is?” app. However, communication about this is not possible, it should only help to transmit the current location to family and friends. Both this feature and Emergency SOS via Satellite are initially free for iPhone users. However, this only applies to the first two years. Apple has not yet revealed what will happen after that – the technology should then become a subscription service, with an as yet unknown price.
