Latest iPhone to include satellite SOS

[CraigVIC]

Limited sat comms where you have a line of sight to a satellite,

https://www.phonearena.com/news/Apple-b ... 4_id142370

It seems very basic but surely spells the end is coming for stand alones like inreach, spot etc

[wildwanderer]

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/09/ ... 4-pro-max/

The apple release. It's only at the moment going to be for usa and Canada customers and will likely require a subscription after 2 years.

With a bit of luck it will help bring down inreach prices.

[headwerkn]

Was much-rumoured but still great to see, especially the ability to ping out location points. I don't think I'll be ditching my InReach anytime soon though, especially with Australian support still TBA and all the usual caveats about relying on somewhat-fragile, multipurpose, battery hungry devices as an emergency communicator. Non-emergency messaging is still my main use case for InReach, which Apple aren't offering. At least for the time being...

That aside, it was pretty obvious Apple had Garmin right in their sights with this Event... I'm not sure I'll ditch my Fenix 6X for an Apple Watch Ultra (especially as unlike the Garmins, Apple will never sell 'em at half price) but clearly they're now serious about getting in that serious ultra-sport/adventure space.

[crollsurf]

Two years before moving to a subscription base service. Garmin v Apple in court over anticompetitive behaviour coming soon I think.

While Garmin hardware and battery life will take some beating, there app and web software is some of the worst I've experienced. This is what happens when you leave the door open to competition.

Interesting to see if Google/Android jump on board. I suspect they will.

Medium term this is good news for the consumer, especially with more sat competition coming online.

Maybe 2025



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[Dexter]

If this all eventuates in Australia (properly) it would be a huge win. Not just for an awesome feature for a smartphone to have, but I’m sure Garmin subscriptions would become more competitive as well. Currently it just doesn’t seem worth it for someone like me that would only be using it for about half a dozen walks a year.


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[GPSGuided]

Wait and wait… While Huawei Mate 50 announced just earlier supports global satellite texting. Shame it won’t be available locally due to US hit on Huawei on basis of economic challenge. The global move to every person satellite comm is definitely here.

[Son of a Beach]

Apple has now published a lot more information about how this works on the new phones, as the service has just now gone live: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213426

Ars Technica has also posted more at: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/11 ... nd-canada/

It's an interesting read. A remarkably good service for those of us who use Apple's services. It covers location sharing, medical information, altitude, battery time remaining, and effectively automatically CC'ing emergency messages to your configured emergency contacts (in addition to sending to emergency services). It automatically responds to specific queries from emergency services and allows manual responses to other queries. I guess they must have organised some arrangement with the emergency services in USA to make this work and will need to do the same thing here before it will be available in Oz.

Looks like a very useful service for those of us who bushwalk to remote locations (or at least it will be if/when it becomes available in Australia). The first two years are free when you activate a new iPhone (and I guess for each new iPhone you get another two years? But this is not clear.) It doesn't say what the cost is after those first two years.

The feature also includes a test function, and a UI that will (when necessary) direct the user which direction to point the phone in to get the best connectivity to the satellite.

I would not use it to replace a PLB just yet, but so long as you have a ruggedised case and a spare and reliable (and dedicated?) emergency battery pack, it could perhaps replace the PLB.

[GPSGuided]

As for a lot of techs, more and more features being consolidated to the one device. Looks good but the cost. An upper end smartphone is now more expensive than a basic computer.

[headwerkn]

In fairness though, a $1500+ high end smartphone is vastly more powerful and capable computing platform than a basic $300-$500 laptop or desktop these days, even before you start talking about battery life, miniaturisation, display tech and the multiple hybrid camera system included as part of the deal.

It's good to see the service rolling out and hopefully we'll see it in Australia in due course. No doubt there's a bit of regulatory gunf to sort out, though I would have thought Apple partnering through Globalstar would mean the emergency services coordination side of things was already established in most countries.

It was interesting to read about how Apple are using data compression on the text messages to speed up transmission times - shows a rather intense commitment to speed up transmission delivery/reliability with what are essentially tiny packets of data. Though I suspect it also helps the less-than-ideal antenna system work better too. Still, I can't think of a time when my InReach managed to send out a message in anywhere near 15 seconds, so that's impressive.

Unless Apple can add non-emergency two-way messaging and weather updates though, I'll hang onto my InReach for the time being. Won't hurt to have a backup though.

[ribuck]

I had been thinking about how good it would be to be able to ditch my InReach and carry just a phone - but it doesn't work out that way.

The InReach is not only my emergency communications device, it's also my backup navigation system that lets me avoid the need to carry paper maps.

So for solo trips I'll still be taking a lightweight phone and the InReach.

By the way, Apple is first off the mark with satellite communications, but it's not an Apple exclusive. Samsung and other makers are well advanced in their plans for similar services.

[crollsurf]

Sat data compression has been a thing since before the the first sat was launched. And has been ever since. That's just marketing fluff.

Emergency battery not needed. We already have power banks. Tough phone cases are also here. All the tech is already available. It's just a matter of implementation and bringing to market.

Aust govt won't stand in the way of these corporate giants, so we'll see it soon enough. Still making the 2025 call.

Only thing is, for the average consumer, 5G is more than good enough. I see this as niche and will probably come with a premium but if the sat market becomes over saturated...

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[Warin]

No doubt there's a bit of regulatory gunf to sort out, though I would have thought Apple partnering through Globalstar would mean the emergency services coordination side of things was already established in most countries.

The frequency bands are already established.

The methods for communicating with Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSAR) are already established - reference inreach.

There would be little obstruction to establishing such a service.

[TML MHz]

And it is now here - if you have an iPhone 14.

https://www.apple.com/au/newsroom/2023/ ... w-zealand/

[Son of a Beach]

And it is now here - if you have an iPhone 14.

https://www.apple.com/au/newsroom/2023/ ... w-zealand/

Plus the interesting addition (I think this is new since the previous press releases?) that says:

Additionally, if users want to reassure friends and family of their whereabouts while traveling in an area with no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage, they can now open the Find My app and share their location via satellite.

So a non-emergency location update mechanism is now also available via satellite.

[johnrs]

Yes and all Free for the first two years............
John

[Son of a Beach]

Yes and all Free for the first two years............
John

I haven't seen the fine print, but do you get another two years free the next time you buy a new iPhone?

So... if I got a new phone every 3 or 4 years, then I'd only have to pay for 1 year in 3, or for 2 years in 4 (if I wanted to keep having the service available).

Does anybody know?

[headwerkn]

I haven't seen the fine print, but do you get another two years free the next time you buy a new iPhone?

So... if I got a new phone every 3 or 4 years, then I'd only have to pay for 1 year in 3, or for 2 years in 4 (if I wanted to keep having the service available).

Does anybody know?

Sounds like it.. which isn't too bad a deal - though what it costs when you do have to actually pay is still unknown. You get a few free months of various Apple services with each new iPhone or iPad purchase, so it's far from a new concept for them.

[Dexter]

Seems like Android / Google doesn't want to be left out of this with Google Messages possibly including Sat communication soon.
This is certainly of interest to me since I now use a Pixel phone.

https://www.androidauthority.com/google ... e-3356040/

[TML MHz]

Some fine print on how the Apple satellite emergency SMS service works: https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT213885

Looks like you can share your location to family and friends, but no messages. You can send messages to emergency services.