On November 15, Apple announced that the functionality for communicating with emergency services via satellite for iPhone 14 smartphone users is operational in the United States and Canada. The editor of The Verge Victoria Song (Victoria Song) tested the function in practice. Measurements were taken in Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York, USA. To start you need to dial 911, then the satellite communication function will be started when there is no cellular network. Victoria Song writes that it is necessary to wait about 30 seconds and that the SOS icon “sending emergency SMS via satellite” will appear in the lower right corner of the mobile phone screen.

After pressing the button, a simple questionnaire will appear in which you need to select the problem you encountered (accident, loss, etc.). You also need to choose whether to notify people to contact in an emergency.

Victoria Song noted that she had no problems filling out the form, but this step might not be that easy if the user is injured and in critical condition. After completing the questionnaire, a satellite icon with an arrow will appear on the screen. Turn the smartphone so that the icon turns green.

According to official information, it only takes 15-30 seconds to send a message if you are in an open area on a sunny day. If you are surrounded by mountains or in a forest, it will take 1 minute or more. The Verge noted that sometimes messages were sent very quickly during the experiments, and sometimes we had to wait quite a long time, taking 3-5 minutes to process. The shorter the message, the faster it is sent.

The disadvantage of the system is that you often have to change the position of the smartphone to follow the satellite signal: “If the user’s foot is broken or he cannot move, this will be problematic and the signal may not be very good.” He also said he has tested the system in urban areas, so it’s hard to say how it will be used in real-world remote areas. Source