The Satellite Emergency SOS feature on the iPhone 14 saved a family from flames in Hawaii.
Surrounded by flames, a family of five was rescued in extremis from one of the violent wildfires currently ravaging the island of Maui in Hawaii. Trapped, the individuals in question were then in a van and had no way of reaching the emergency services.
As reported Wccftech, unable to make a call on the mobile network, this family owes its salvation to the iPhone 14 from Apple. It is, in fact, the only consumer smartphone to date with functionality to notify emergency services via satellite in the United States. But the function should soon arrive on other devices.
Communicate with emergency services without a telephone network
This feature equips the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro, provided they have iOS 16.1 or later. For more information on the use of this service, we invite you to read our article on the emergency SOS function by satellite on iPhone. Designed for emergencies, owners of one of these iPhone 14 models can use it when the device does not detect any working networks nearby. Some summary information is then automatically requested from the user, in order to understand the reason for the request.
After establishing the satellite connection, which may take a few minutes due to the distance, a message conversation is initiated with the local authorities. To facilitate the intervention of the emergency services, certain data may be transmitted automatically, such as the precise position of the individual requesting assistance.
On the other hand, as specified by Apple, this functionality is only available in 14 countries to date (including France). The complete list of areas covered by the service is available on the Cupertino company’s website.
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