iPhone 14’s Emergency SOS via Satellite Officially Expands To France, Germany, U.K., And Ireland

Shortly after announcing Emergency SOS via Satellite in the U.S. and Canada, Apple has brought the feature to four more countries; France, Germany, the U.K., and Ireland. There were rumors that the company would expand to other regions, with the announcement going official today.

Apple has partnered with various services in these four countries to bring forth its Emergency SOS via Satellite feature

In addition to the Emergency SOS via Satellite feature, if iPhone owners want to let their friends and family know their location if they are in an area without Wi-Fi or a cellular reception, Apple’s Find My app helps provide that information. As for residents living in France, Germany, the U.K., and Ireland, Emergency SOS via Satellite is only compatible with the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

With iOS 16.2 expected to launch later today, Apple states that iPhone users who dial their local emergency number will be re-directed to 112, which is the European emergency service, but that is if the call does not go through a cellular or Wi-Fi connection.

Gary Machado, the European Emergency Number Association’s CEO, talks about the benefits of Apple’s Emergency SOS via Satellite feature and how it will help combat a wide range of problems.

“Emergency SOS via satellite makes emergency communications over satellite more accessible, which is very exciting. In practice, it means that many more people will be able to contact 112 when they have no mobile coverage and need urgent assistance. We are confident that this will save many lives and offer significant help to emergency services dealing with these often very complicated rescues.”

iPhone 14’s Emergency SOS via Satellite feature in action

John Anthony, the British Association of Public Safety Communications Officials’ President mentions that Apple’s emergency feature for iPhone users will be able to save lives in case there is no Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity.

“Being able to use a satellite connection to contact 999 or 112 if there is no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage is a breakthrough that Apple has brought to the general public with iPhone 14. The feature will mean that emergency services can be alerted when it was not previously possible and are then able to do their jobs to better effect, in part because of the initial information that can be shared with dispatchers, such as location and essential details about the emergency. Ultimately, this will help save lives.”

Emergency SOS via Satellite will be free for two years, after which Apple is expected to start charging users, though the amount or structure of the fee was not mentioned. What was mentioned was the fact that Apple launched the feature with the help of Globalstar, a global satellite communications company, and invested $450 million to bring it to the masses. The technology giant will likely be aiming to recoup that investment, hence it is expected to start charging customers after 24 months.

If you want to learn in-depth on how the feature works, make sure to read our detailed explanatory article on how Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite functions and what kind of limitations you can face when using it for the first time.

The post iPhone 14’s Emergency SOS via Satellite Officially Expands To France, Germany, U.K., And Ireland by Omar Sohail appeared first on Wccftech.