Apple today announced that the iPhone 14's Emergency SOS via Satellite feature will begin rolling out to customers in the United States and Canada starting today, with other countries coming later next month. Alongside the announcement, Apple also gave select YouTubers and media outlets early access to the feature, offering a closer look at how it works.
The service will be free for the first two years, but Apple has not said what will happen after then. To help users understand how it works, Apple has created a demo mode that allows users to experience the feature and its interface without having it active and contacting emergency services. Below, we've embedded some videos that offer a closer look at the demo mode and how the feature works.
From a technical level, Emergency SOS via Satellite works by utilizing technology built into all iPhone 14 models that allow them to connect to satellites in orbit around the earth to contact emergency services when a user is outside cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. Apple has built a new interface that allows users to send messages to emergency services over satellite using a questionnaire that asks critical questions for first responders to understand the emergency and dispatch help.
The message sent to emergency services includes a user's location, including altitude, their iPhone battery level, and their Medical ID, if they have one. The messages are sent directly to dispatchers or sent to a center of Apple‑trained specialists who can call emergency services on a user's behalf. For a more detailed dive into the feature, see our guide.
Monday October 28, 2024 7:16 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
Amazon has seemingly leaked the rumored next-generation Mac mini ahead of Apple's announcement this week, revealing several details.
Our concept of a smaller Mac mini
According to a comparison chart on Amazon's product listing for the new iMac, the new Mac mini will be available with M4 and M4 Pro chip options, with up to a 14-core CPU and up to a 20-core GPU. In addition, the chart indicates ...
Apple today announced fully redesigned Mac mini models featuring the M4 and M4 Pro chips, a considerably smaller casing, two front-facing USB-C ports, Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, and more.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
The product refresh marks the first time the Mac mini has been redesigned in over a decade. The enclosure now measures just five by five inches...
Wednesday October 30, 2024 8:01 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple today announced new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models featuring M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, alongside a new entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by the M4 chip.
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The new M4 Pro and M4 Max machines come with a minimum of 24GB of Unified Memory as standard, up from 18GB in the previous models. Both models feature three...
Wednesday October 30, 2024 8:04 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple today in its new MacBook Pro press release announced that the MacBook Air lineup now starts with 16GB of RAM, up from 8GB previously.
This change applies to the 13-inch model with the M2 chip, the 13-inch model with the M3 chip, and the 15-inch model with the M3 chip.
In the U.S., the MacBook Air lineup continues to start at $999, so there is no price increase associated with the...
Tuesday October 29, 2024 8:48 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Oops! Eagle-eyed developer Charlie Joseph today discovered that Apple has leaked its upcoming high-end M4 Max chip through an image uploaded to its website. The discovery was shared with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman on social media.
It was already pretty obvious that Apple plans to announce new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips this week, after Apple promised...
Monday October 28, 2024 3:49 pm PDT by Juli Clover
iOS 18.1 is the first iOS 18 update with Apple Intelligence capabilities, and that's what a lot of the coverage about the new software has focused on. If you don't have an iPhone that's capable of Apple Intelligence, you're probably wondering just what's in the update for you.
While Apple Intelligence does make up the bulk of what's new, if you have an older device, you still get some solid...
Monday October 28, 2024 8:05 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today released watchOS 11.1, the first major update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.1 comes one month after Apple released watchOS 11. watchOS 11.1 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2.
watchOS 11.1 can be downloaded on an iPhone running iOS 18.1 by opening up the Apple Watch app...
@TheYayAreaLiving ? it showed up in my Emergency SOS settings in past hour or so. There is the test mode there showing it now is active. Normally won’t show anything else in phone or such unless you have no cell signal. But you can test the demo mode without risk and such. Will later when outside for the experience of course ;-). Have to try everything LOL
Very nice! Gotta test it out tho. I might plan a hiking trip to see how efficient and effective it is. But it’s so cold outside. I wish this feature was released in the summer.
For free I'll take it but a subscription is out of the question. I got better chance of being hit by lightning than being in a life threatening emergency situation without service.
