iPhone 15, iPhone 14 Emergency SOS via Satellite Feature Expanding to Two New Countries

Apple's Emergency SOS via satellite feature debuted with the launch of iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro last year.

Written by Nithya P Nair, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 15 September 2023 13:46 IST

iPhone 15, iPhone 14 Emergency SOS via Satellite Feature Expanding to Two New Countries

Photo Credit: Apple

iPhone 15 series was unveiled on September 12

Highlights

Apple introduced Emergency SOS via satellite last year
Emergency SOS via satellite service can be used during natural disasters
The latest iPhone 15 series also gets this feature

Apple introduced a safety feature called Emergency SOS via satellite last year with the iPhone 14 series. This functionality is designed to let users get in touch with emergency services when they do not have a cellular network or Wi-Fi connectivity. As planned, Apple is making Emergency SOS via satellite available in more countries later this month. The latest iPhone 15 series also gets this feature and it is free for the first two years with the activation of a handset. Apple's Emergency SOS via satellite was only available in the US and Canada at the time of launch.

During the launch of the iPhone 15 series this week, Apple announced that it is expanding the Emergency SOS via satellite feature to Spain and Switzerland. With this development, iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users in these regions will be able to contact emergency services and share their location with friends and family in places with no cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity. The functionality will be available by the end of this month.

Satellite features are included for free for two years with the activation of an iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15, or iPhone 15 Pro.

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The Emergency SOS via satellite feature debuted with the launch of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro last year. Initially, it was limited to the US and Canada and Apple expanded its availability to more countries at various points through the last few months. At present, the Emergency SOS via satellite is currently available in 14 countries including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, the UK, and the US. The feature requires the iOS 16.1 or later update to function in these countries.

The Emergency SOS via satellite service can be used during natural disasters and wilderness adventures. It will automatically appear when a user tries to call emergency services and a short questionnaire will be shown to help the user answer vital questions. Apple has also shared a video on YouTube to promote the impact of this safety feature. The four-minute video portrays iPhone 14 users who were saved from danger using Emergency SOS via satellite.

Meanwhile, Apple is all set to roll out another interesting feature called Roadside Assistance via satellite. It is designed to help iPhone users who are locked out of their vehicle or have car troubles like running out of fuel, in areas where cellular network coverage or Wi-Fi network are unavailable. This functionality will be exclusive to the US.

Apple unveiled its first mixed reality headset, the Apple Vision Pro, at its annual developer conference, along with new Mac models and upcoming software updates. We discuss all the most important announcements made by the company at WWDC 2023 on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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iPhone 14

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Good overall performance
Great camera quality in daylight
iOS ecosystem and ease of use

Bad
Dated design and notch
Very similar to iPhone 13
Relatively slow charging
Expensive

Read detailed Apple iPhone 14 review

Display 6.06-inch

Processor Apple A15 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 16

Resolution 1170x2532 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

iPhone 14 Pro

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Superb display with always-on mode
Excellent overall performance
Good battery life
All cameras take high-quality stills and video
Regular iOS updates for many years

Bad
Extremely expensive
Relatively slow charging and transfer speed
Gets warm under heavy workloads
Limited customisation for Dynamic Island

Read detailed Apple iPhone 14 Pro review

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A16 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 6GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

OS iOS 16

Resolution 1179x2556 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

iPhone 14 Pro Max

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.70-inch

Processor Apple A16 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

OS iOS 16

Resolution 2796x1290 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

iPhone 14 Plus

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Good overall performance
Great camera quality in daylight
iOS ecosystem and ease of use
Excellent battery life

Bad
Dated design and notch
Same SoC as iPhone 13 series
Relatively slow charging
Expensive

Read detailed Apple iPhone 14 Plus review

Display 6.68-inch

Processor Apple A15 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 16

Resolution 1284x2778 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

iPhone 15

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Big upgrades over the 14
Excellent ergonomics, build quality
Very good all-round performance
Apple ecosystem benefits

Bad
Relatively slow charging
Expensive
Still a 60Hz display

Read detailed Apple iPhone 15 review

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A16 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 6GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 17

Resolution 1179x2556 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Apple iPhone 15 Pro

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A17 Pro

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

OS iOS 17

Resolution 1179x2556 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Excellent display
USB Type-C
AAA gaming
Excellent all-round performance
Good primary and telephoto camera
Customisable Action Button

Bad
Gets hot quickly when stressed
Slow wired charging
Expensive

Read detailed Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max review

Display 6.70-inch

Processor Apple A17 Pro

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

OS iOS 17

Resolution 1290x2796 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

Apple iPhone 15 Plus

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.70-inch

Processor Apple A16 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 17

Resolution 1290x2796 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

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Further reading: Emergency SOS via satellite, Apple, iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro max, iPhone 15 Pro

Nithya P Nair

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Nithya P Nair is a journalist with more than five years of experience in digital journalism. She specialises in business and technology beats. A foodie at heart, Nithya loves exploring new places (read cuisines) and sneaking in Malayalam movie dialogues to spice up conversations. More