iPhone 14: Emergency call SOS via satellite comes to Europe
Apple is expanding its emergency call service via satellite to Germany, France, Great Britain and Ireland in December.
After the launch of the emergency call SOS via satellite in the USA and Canada, Apple announced the expansion to four countries in Europe. From December, emergency text messages will also be possible in Germany, France, Great Britain and Ireland when neither WLAN nor mobile network are available.
For emergencies in wireless holes
The emergency call SOS via satellite is available on all variants of the iPhone 14. It allows you to connect to satellites in an emergency and send text messages to emergency call centres. They will then know your location and can ask you questions about the nature of the emergency and initiate rescue measures. You can also use the "Where is?" app to inform friends about your location. The service is limited to text messages - calls are not possible via the satellite connection.
No additional software is needed, as Apple integrates the function into iOS. If you start the emergency call via satellite, the user interface asks a few questions so that the first message already receives as much information as possible. In order for the satellite text message to work, the iPhone must be aligned with it. But don't worry: the smartphone will give you the appropriate instructions.
Apple says it manages to reduce the size of text messages by 300 per cent. Still, sending or receiving takes 15 seconds in good conditions. The bandwidth of the satellite connection is so low that it is not good for more than emergency calls. If you want to practice before your next trip to the outback, Apple offers a demo version of Emergency SOS via Satellite.
Emergency SOS via Satellite is included free for all iPhone 14 models for two years from activation. Apple does not yet provide any information on the costs that will be incurred after that.
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