All four iPhone 14 models that just started shipping worldwide have a new satellite emergency distress feature that will launch in the U.S. and Canada in November, and a new report says Apple plans to expand the feature to more countries over time.
Apple has reportedly told Swiss website MacPrime that it plans to announce more countries for Emergency SOS via Satellite later this year and then a new batch of additional countries next year, but it’s unclear exactly when the feature will begin to expand.
Emergency SOS via Satellite is designed to allow iPhone 14 models to send text messages via satellite in the event of an emergency, and as the provider of “Emergency SOS via Satellite,” Apple’s satellite communications service provider, Globalstar, will guarantee that 85 percent of its network capacity is available to Apple. Apple’s satellite communications provider, Globalstar, will guarantee that 85 percent of its network capacity will be available to Apple and will commit to paying for future upgrades to its satellite service. Apple will receive priority access to these resources and fund 95 percent of Globalstar’s capital expenditures to develop and maintain its satellite network.
