Last night, during the Far Out event, Apple announced that four iPhone 14 series phones can connect directly to satellites in areas where cellular and Wi-Fi communication systems are unavailable. Apple calls this system Emergency SOS via Satellite and says it will be very useful in emergency situations.
According to Apple, the satellite communication system shows its best performance in open environments and clear skies, so the performance of this service in environments with buildings and trees may be weaker than expected. The Emergency SOS via Satellite feature does not allow you to make voice calls, but it does allow you to send short text messages.
In the satellite communication system, the iPhone greets the user with a series of preset questions, and as soon as the phone is connected to the satellite, it sends the details to the emergency personnel. Apple says it has created a new compression algorithm to make text messages three times smaller and speed up the process of sending messages.
to the writing of McRumorsIf in a particular area it is possible to send a message directly to the emergency services, the message will be sent directly from the iPhone. Otherwise, the message must first go to a center that includes experts trained by Apple to contact emergency services for you.
Using the Emergency SOS via Satellite feature requires the iPhone to be connected to a satellite. According to Apple’s announcement, this system tells the user which way to point his phone so that the connection to the satellite is established well. Apple says that if you’re under clear skies, a text message will be sent within 15 seconds, but it can take several minutes.
Thanks to the satellite communication system, iPhone users can share their location through the Find My service, even if it is not possible to access the cellular network and Wi-Fi.
The new generation iPhones can also detect accidents thanks to their sensors. The crash detection capability is paired with a satellite communication system so that if an accident occurs in a remote area, an accident report can still be sent to the emergency services.
Securities and Exchange Commission filings show that Apple has partnered with Globalstar to provide iPhone satellite connectivity. In fact, Apple uses the satellites that this company has in the earth’s orbit. Globalstar has committed to making 85% of its current and future network capacity available to Apple iPhones. According to the terms of the contract, Globalstar provides and maintains all resources (including personnel, software, satellite systems, etc.).
Called The spectrum used by Globalstar worldwide is dedicated to mobile satellites. The mid-band frequencies that the T-Mobile operator seeks to use are not available to these satellites by default, so the necessary licenses must be obtained in each country separately.
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Apple has not yet announced the price of the satellite communication system, but it says that owners of the iPhone 14 series phones can use this service for free for two years. The satellite communication system will be available for residents of the United States and Canada in November 2022.
