Apple emergency SOS messaging launched in US and Canada

[Jan]

Apple launches satellite emergency SOS

Apple's satellite service for sending emergency SOS messages is now available to iPhone 14 users in the US and Canada.

The company first announced the feature during its unveiling of the iPhone 14 line-up in September 2022, after over a year of speculative reports that satellite calling or texting capability would be coming to the iPhone.

 

["D"]

What's the real difference between SOS and the phenomenon of Emergency SOS?

 

[Skerminkel]

This is big. Seriously eating Garmin's lunch here, assuming it goes global in due course. Next in line: Irridium and other satellite phone operators.

 

[Skerminkel]

What's the real difference between SOS and the phenomenon of Emergency SOS?

The difference is that the marketing goons got hold of the product description.

 

[SauRoNZA]

What's the real difference between SOS and the phenomenon of Emergency SOS?

There’s no cellphone service required for this and it works almost anywhere on the planet.

Normal SOS is only as useful as the nearest cellphone tower.

 

[Skerminkel]

Apple senior vice president of worldwide marketing Greg Joswiak said the feature was an “indispensable tool” to help users get emergency assistance while they were off the grid.

Talking of a brand new feature in past tense?

 

[Skerminkel]

There’s no cellphone service required for this and it works almost anywhere on the planet.

Normal SOS is only as useful as the nearest cellphone tower.

You are thinking of sms.

 

[SauRoNZA]

You are thinking of sms.

No I'm not.

I'm talking about the emergency number you can dial from any cellphone provider without having airtime and on anyone's network.

In fact I think you can even use it without an activated SIM as I recall.

Emergency telephone number - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

You can even use it without any SIM card at all on some networks.

 

[SauRoNZA]

This is big. Seriously eating Garmin's lunch here, assuming it goes global in due course. Next in line: Irridium and other satellite phone operators.

Remember this is not about making calls on satellite networks or even using data, so this isn't going after Iridium, Inmarsat or anyone else for that matter.

It's essentially sending SMS' over satellite with minimal data when the **** has really hit the fan.

Granted it's what many people buy satellite phones for so it will take a very small chunk of the market away but those never really made the providers any money to start with as they only ever got used in emergencies.

 

[am-user]

No I'm not.

I'm talking about the emergency number you can dial from any cellphone provider without having airtime and on anyone's network.

In fact I think you can even use it without an activated SIM as I recall.

Emergency telephone number - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

You can even use it without any SIM card at all on some networks.

This works without cellular coverage. Just an iPhone 14 and a satellite in the sky.

 

[SauRoNZA]

This works without cellular coverage. Just an iPhone 14 and a satellite in the sky.

Yes that's what I already said.

#5

 

[Skerminkel]

Remember this is not about making calls on satellite networks or even using data, so this isn't going after Iridium, Inmarsat or anyone else for that matter.

It's essentially sending SMS' over satellite with minimal data when the **** has really hit the fan.

Granted it's what many people buy satellite phones for so it will take a very small chunk of the market away but those never really made the providers any money to start with as they only ever got used in emergencies.

Yes, but I think this is only the first step. Garmin's Go does exactly that, so there goes one whole product line for them.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Yes, but I think this is only the first step. Garmin's Go does exactly that, so there goes one whole product line for them.

Oh yeah for sure there’s definitely a long game at play here.