Satellite SOS on your smartphone?
Going camping or hiking out of cellular range? This technology might just save your life.
This technology could save your life!
My first responder colleague Dave Helgeson told me about this capability a few months ago, and it was promptly buried in a dark corner of my memory. And then I read that the Apple iPhone 14 is now able to make SOS satellite calls with your location and status.
Why do I think this could be a lifesaver? Read this tragic story from last March 2022 about a couple getting their RV stuck in the desert out of cell phone range.
Beverly Barker reflects on RV trip in Nevada that ended in death of her husband:
INDIANAPOLIS — Family and friends gathered Thursday at services to remember and celebrate the life of U.S. Air Force veteran Ronnie Barker.
The 72-year-old died of dehydration on April 4 in the Nevada mountains after his wife, Beverly, and he got stuck in a remote area for more than a week.
Read the full story HERE.
Use Emergency SOS via satellite on your iPhone 14
With iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models, you can use Emergency SOS via satellite to text emergency services when you're out of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. You can also use the Find My app to share your location with people via satellite.
How Emergency SOS via satellite works
Emergency SOS via satellite can help you connect with emergency services under exceptional circumstances when no other means of reaching emergency services are available. If you call or text emergency services and can't connect because you're outside the range of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage, your iPhone tries to connect you via satellite to the help that you need.
When you use a satellite connection, the experience is different than sending or receiving a message via cellular. In ideal conditions with a direct view of the sky and the horizon, a message might take 15 seconds to send, and over a minute to send under trees with light or medium foliage. If you're under heavy foliage or surrounded by other obstructions, you might not be able to connect to a satellite. Connection times can also be impacted by your surroundings, the length of your message, and the status and availability of the satellite network.
Emergency SOS via satellite is free for two years after the activation of iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Pro.
Read more from Apple HERE.
But wait, there’s more…
You can also do this with an Android or earlier iPhone with a $99 dongle from Motorola. It connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth and has its own battery. Apparently you can transfer this from phone to phone. I’m not sure if there’s a subscription fee for the service, but the concept should save lives if you’re hiking or driving off-road and lose cell phone service. Read more about it HERE.
While you may never need to make an SOS call and you may rarely be out of cellular contact, if you do then it can save your life. I’ll be doing more testing and research on this technology soon and perhaps as Dave Helgeson to join me in an Ask-the-Expert video to discuss how to keep yourself safe in the great outdoors.
If you have an iPhone 14 or other smartphone with an SOS Satellite device, please comment below.
Let’s play safe out there - Mike
About six months ago, T-Mobile & SpaceX also announced a partnership to provide this service in the near future. The competition for this communications market sector promises to bring some great tech to the outdoors for those who can't bring themselves to completely cut the internet cord when going off-grid.
Mike, the reviews I've read so far say that the connectivity (to satellites) is much poorer than Spot or InReach, and not something to bet your life on. I think the new SOS/phone function is a wonderful idea, but until it gets LOTS more reliable, I'm hanging on to my InReach.