Great photos. Awesome video. And, of course, amazing connectivity.
The newest iPhone and Apple Watches from Apple provide a lot of great features you probably already use. But they also have many you might not be familiar with.
EMERGENCY SOS – VIA SATELLITE
Sometimes I like to go off the grid. And sometimes I’m just in a dead zone where there’s no cell coverage (like on a nature hike in northern Ontario or the Rockies, or, if you can believe it, in downtown Detroit a week ago). With iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15, or iPhone 15 Pro, you can use Emergency SOS via satellite to text emergency services when you’re off the grid with no cellular and Wi-Fi coverage.
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 somewhere with no cellular and Wi-Fi coverage, your iPhone tries to connect you via satellite.
To connect to a satellite, you need to be outside with a clear view of the sky and horizon. When you use a satellite connection, the experience is different than sending or receiving a message via cellular.
Emergency SOS via satellite is free for two years after the activation of an iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15, or iPhone 15 Pro.
When you use Emergency SOS via satellite, you can share your Medical ID and notify your emergency contacts. You need to set up this information before going somewhere with no cellular and Wi-Fi coverage.
This is an amazing feature that could save your life.
CRASH DETECTION
Car and truck or motorcycle accidents happen. If your iPhone or Apple Watch detects a severe car crash, your device can help connect you to emergency services.
Crash Detection works on these iPhone and Apple Watch models:
- iPhone 14 or later (all models) with iOS 16 or later
- Apple Watch Series 8 or later, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), and Apple Watch Ultra or later with watchOS 9 or later
Emergency calls use a cellular connection or Wi-Fi Calling with an Internet connection from your Apple Watch or iPhone.
Crash Detection is designed to detect severe car crashes — such as front-impact, side-impact, and rear-end collisions, and rollovers — involving sedans, minivans, SUVs, pickup trucks, and other passenger cars.
When a severe car crash is detected, your iPhone or Apple Watch sounds an alarm and displays an alert1.
- Your iPhone reads the alert, in case you can’t see the screen. If you have only your phone, the screen displays an Emergency Call slider and your phone can call emergency services.
- Your Apple Watch chimes and taps your wrist, and checks in with you on the screen. If you have only your watch, the screen displays an Emergency Call slider. If you have a watch with cellular or your watch is connected to Wi-Fi, it can call emergency services.
- If you have your iPhone and Apple Watch, the Emergency Call slider appears only on your watch, and the call is connected and the call audio plays from your watch.
- If you’re able, you can choose to call emergency services or dismiss the alert.
- If you’re unable to respond, your device automatically calls emergency services after a 20-second delay.
- If you’ve added emergency contacts, your device sends a message to share your location and let them know that you’ve been in a severe car crash.
- If you’ve set up your Medical ID, your device displays a Medical ID slider, so that emergency responders can access your medical information.
If the vehicle has its own integrated way to detect a crash and make a call, that process will proceed without change. Crash Detection won’t cancel any emergency calls already in progress on your iPhone. Crash Detection will cancel ongoing, non-emergency calls on your iPhone or Apple Watch.
I’m old enough to remember being excited about having an eight-track tape player in my car when I was a teenager, so I could, wait for it, listen to MY OWN MUSIC. To think of carrying a telephone in my pocket that holds thousands and thousands of songs and can detect if my car is in a crash is simply incredible.
FALL DETECTION
Apple Watch Series 4 and later can help you make an emergency call if you’ve taken a hard fall. And if you can’t move, your Apple Watch automatically calls emergency services, then sends a message with your location to your emergency contacts.
If your Apple Watch detects that you’re moving, it waits for you to respond to the alert and won’t automatically call emergency services. If your watch detects that you’ve been immobile for about a minute, it will make the call automatically.1
After the call ends, your watch sends a message to your emergency contacts with your location letting them know that your watch detected a hard fall and dialed emergency services. Your watch gets your emergency contacts from your Medical ID.
If you’re immobile and there are multiple emergency numbers in your country or region, Apple Watch automatically chooses a single emergency number to dial.
If you have iPhone 14 or later (all models), Fall Detection notifications to emergency services may be communicated by the Emergency SOS via satellite system when you’re outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage, where Emergency SOS via satellite is available.
This is remarkably handy for people of a certain age. I’m in my sixties now and quick on my feet, but that won’t always be the case. It would be a good thing for anyone who feels they’re not as stable as they used to be, or as they’d like.
MEDICAL ID FOR FIRST RESPONDERS
Emergency workers can view your critical medical information — such as allergies, medical conditions, and emergency contacts — without unlocking your iPhone or Apple Watch. Make sure that your information is accurate and up to date.
Medical ID helps first responders access your critical medical information from the Lock screen, without needing your passcode. They can see information like allergies and medical conditions as well as who to contact in case of an emergency.
Again, this is amazing technology that could save your life.
