Apple has announced the extension of its free Emergency SOS via satellite service for an additional year for existing iPhone 14 users, one year after the feature was announced, which has turned into a must-have emergency lifeline for those outside of cellular network connections.
Initially launched with the iPhone 14 models in the U.S. and Canada, the service is now also available on the iPhone 15 lineup across 16 countries and regions. The technology allows users to text with emergency services even when out of reach of cellular and Wi-Fi networks.
“Emergency SOS via satellite has helped save lives around the world. From a man who was rescued after his car plummeted over a 400-foot cliff in Los Angeles, to lost hikers found in the Apennine Mountains in Italy, we continue to hear stories of our customers being able to connect with emergency responders when they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to,” said Kaiann Drance, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing on early Wednesday morning.
“We are so happy iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users can take advantage of this groundbreaking service for two more years for free,” she said.
Building upon this satellite capability, Apple recently introduced Roadside Assistance via satellite for U.S. customers, enabling users to connect with AAA for car assistance in areas without cellular or Wi-Fi coverage.
Emergency SOS via satellite availability is for iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15, or iPhone 15 Pro, running iOS 16.1 or later in the U.S. or Canada.
We’ve heard numerous stories of the feature helping to save lives of people in Canada. Globalstar, Apple’s satellite partner, will soon leverage SpaceX to launch more satellites to support the feature. It’s great news that Apple has given iPhone 14 users another free year of this feature.
The extended free trial of Emergency SOS via satellite is available to iPhone 14 users who activated their device in a supporting country before 12 a.m. PT on November 15, 2023.
