Apple's iPhone 14 Emergency SOS via Satellite Feature Saves Stranded Man in Alaska

[I7guy]

The court of public opinion would still judge Apple I'd imagine if someone had tried to get help and couldn't.

Maybe or maybe not. Especially if apple goes out of its way to say the two year trial period is coming to an end.

My guess is that Apple wouldn't prevent someone from reaching one of their centres and would still send help, but probably for a hefty one-time charge that's significantly more expensive than an annual membership.

Hard to tell at this juncture.

People who regularly venture out will probably pay regardless, while city dwellers are unlikely to pay for satellite rescue so it's better to still cover them and charge them when you can instead of shutting them out completely.

It’s not up to me, but if the t&c give one a two year trial period, then outdoors types in two years better get their act together or buy another emergency satellite piece of equipment.

 

[nickawhite]

This sounds like a PR stunt to me. It’s just so preposterous

Not at all - this kind of thing happens frequently up here!

 

[d686546s]

It’s not up to me, but if the t&c give one a two year trial period, then outdoors types in two years better get their act together or buy another emergency satellite piece of equipment.

Oh yeah, no argument from me in principle and I'd assume that plenty of people will pay. I also assume that a one off charge for the service would be quite exorbitant.

I can still imagine a scenario where someone who's very clearly not in the target demographic gets into an emergency you wouldn't traditionally associate with a satellite rescue service. Imagine a child dying in a car crash in the woods somewhere that could have been saved if Apple, which had the means and opportunity to help, had not disabled the service.

Absolutely within their rights, worst publicity ever.

But I agree, let's wait and see.

 

[wilberforce]

I suspect the 2 years limit on free service is just so Apple has a way out if it gets out of control. They do not want to promise free for ever, until they see how it goes. They may need to start charging something to eliminate frivolous callers, like your unruly kids.

 

[nickawhite]

A significant number of the treatments we do now for patients with a-fib presented with "my Apple Watch told me I was having an arrhythmia..." It's great to see these technologies that are potentially life-saving being developed by one of the few companies that can deployed them on a massive scale for maximal effect.

 

[I7guy]

Oh yeah, no argument from me in principle and I'd assume that plenty of people will pay. I also assume that a one off charge for the service would be quite exorbitant.

I can still imagine a scenario where someone who's very clearly not in the target demographic gets into an emergency you wouldn't traditionally associate with a satellite rescue service. Imagine a child dying in a car crash in the woods somewhere that could have been saved if Apple, which had the means and opportunity to help, had not disabled the service.

Absolutely within their rights, worst publicity ever.

But I agree, let's wait and see.

Yep, and I can see apples response is we notified all users plenty of time in advance and it was up to them to ensure their subscription was renewed. Would make the family out to be culpable as well.

 

[BobSc]

I suspect the 2 years limit on free service is just so Apple has a way out if it gets out of control. They do not want to promise free for ever, until they see how it goes. They may need to start charging something to eliminate frivolous callers, like your unruly kids.

But don't forget that making the satellite connection isn't trivial. It's not just pressing a button to call. You have to be in an area where there is absolutely no cell coverage. Then you have to find the satellite and keep the phone positioned correctly, etc.

 

[redbeard331]

I have extensively read up on this story, have been near where they died (near the Charles Manson hideout), and often travel offroad in Death Valley. The blue line is one of my GPS tracks, and the red marker waypoints are locations of discovered items and remains from the German Party. On the bottom left, east of Sourdough spring, is the Manson hideout. Death Valley is a unique and beautiful place, but also a bit creepy, like danger lurks for the unwary...


The other Death Valley story that finally convinced me to get a Garmin inReach was this:

What Happened to the Tucson Couple Missing in April in Words of Survivor Emily Henkel

Finally, thanks to one of our readers, Kristine MacKenzie, who was so affected by the story of the missing couple from Tucson in Death Valley in April, that she

sierrawave.net

Wow I’m surprised anybody goes off roading out that way, I just remember thinking last time I was there how looking to the south of Badwater how desolate it looks that way. I’ve always wondered how the Manson people made it out there and survived the heat, especially back then.

I hadn’t heard of the Tucson couple before. No matter what I only go there in the cooler months, just way too risky when it’s hot, you can die quickly if you have a breakdown out there and it’s over 120 degrees. When I was there last in late winter is was already over 90 degrees, but felt a lot warmer since the sand and the salt reflects the sun back into you, it sort of feels like you’re being cooked alive, I can’t imagine temps 126 and higher! So this one one of the major reasons I got the new iPhone, you never know, I’ve been in the mountains right outside LA with zero cell service, people die all the time up there even though you’d think they could walk out in any direction but what seems close by car is another story when you’re on foot, lost, and it’s freezing cold or brutally hot. With the amount of people who have iPhones I’m sure over the years this will save a lot of lives.

I wonder if they ever found the guy who disappeared on mount Whitney?

 

[MacAddict1978]

Are people supposed to pay for emergency services when the SOS rescue team later? Apple hasn't outlined this

They did, and of course they are. They have a disclaimer that says you are responsible for any cost of rescue and emergency services provided.

 

[canfiax]

> Thanks for filling out the emergency report, which will be sent to the authorities, as soon as you upgrade to Apple Gold

 

[Pentium]

Great news!

 

[Gasu E.]

"Stranded". He should have prepared going out there. Not Rely on the Phone. If the environment is Hostile he should have the gear needed to Survive. Make a Fire, shelter, have food ect.. Think People living there going out everyday Don't prepare for events? Bah.

You mean like, make a fire, pitch a little tent, eat his emergency rations.... and just sit there for the rest of his life next to his broken snowmobile? At some point, he needs to be rescued. All that "prepping" does is buy you some time, even if you are an expert survivalist.

 

[Gasu E.]

Both of these things can't be true.

"Emergency SOS via Satellite" is the name of a feature on an iPhone. Satellite not included.

​

 

[Gasu E.]

I was stranded in huge shopping mall once. Thanks God I had my iPhone with me. Saved my life again.

Were there slow moving, dead-eyed people shuffling around, following some kind of instinct? Memories of what they used to do, as if it was an important place in their lives?

 

[Gasu E.]

I think so too. If it saves even one person in a real situation, this feature is already justified.

I think Apple should not charge a subscription for this feature after 2 years, but rather chrage a substantial fee when a person is rescued or body recovered, which is often covered by travel Insurance.

Among the challenges with the "fee for service" is that paying for it electronically requires successful completion of an electronic transaction; which, in itself, may be difficult or impossible in the middle of the wilderness. (Keep in mind that financial transactions require a good deal of confirmations in both directions to go through, while text messages can be much simpler.) Which means Apple would need to let you use the service whether you pay or not, and then try to bill you in arrears. And then they would want to make sure you didn't abuse this in a location with good network service, so they would have to distinguish those cases. And do all this while trying to let you make an emergency call in a timely manner when a satellite may not be within range for more than a few minutes, in some locations.

 

[Gasu E.]

Emergency. Death. Broken spine.
No longer.

<...> This also covers 1 extra seat for a friend, your friend must however consent to the voluntary mandatory donations as well.

Nah.

 

[Gasu E.]

It was this guy they’ve supposedly saved. Go figure. ⬇️

View attachment 2122282

I happen to know he was at the White House eating homard with Macron at that time.

 

[Abazigal]

I suspect the 2 years limit on free service is just so Apple has a way out if it gets out of control. They do not want to promise free for ever, until they see how it goes. They may need to start charging something to eliminate frivolous callers, like your unruly kids.

Agreed. It's really Apple's way of saying "we are monitoring the situation" without committing too early.

For starters, Apple likely still has no idea how heavily said service will end up being used, or what the cost structure will be like 2 years from now. Whether they will be able to subsidise it as yet another service, charge a monthly fee or roll it into Apple One remains to be seen.

Regardless, it's still too early to start criticising Apple for something they have not yet done. When Apple announces how they plan to charge for said feature moving forward, it's still not too late to start criticising them. Until then, what we do know is that iPhone 14 users have a feature that works, has helped saved a life (at least), and which will likely go onto save yet more lives in the next two years.

Let's just acknowledge it. 😊

 

[Gasu E.]

In Scotland a few years ago somebody in the Highlands literally died 100 yards from their door during a heavy snow storm. They couldn't see their way home and they had no way of contacting anybody because they forgot their phone. That's an extremely unlucky case, but it doesn't even take snow to get hypothermia - it's easy to get it in wet conditions even many degrees above freezing.

Guess what! This new iPhone feature would NOT have helped them!

 

[JapanApple]

They did, and of course they are. They have a disclaimer that says you are responsible for any cost of rescue and emergency services provided.

I don't know where saw this in the normal meaning of reading. But it wasn't outlined clearly with cooks in the announcement sept.

 

[jerryk]

Impressive. I hope I never need it, but glad I have it.

 

[0924487]

Among the challenges with the "fee for service" is that paying for it electronically requires successful completion of an electronic transaction; which, in itself, may be difficult or impossible in the middle of the wilderness. (Keep in mind that financial transactions require a good deal of confirmations in both directions to go through, while text messages can be much simpler.) Which means Apple would need to let you use the service whether you pay or not, and then try to bill you in arrears. And then they would want to make sure you didn't abuse this in a location with good network service, so they would have to distinguish those cases. And do all this while trying to let you make an emergency call in a timely manner when a satellite may not be within range for more than a few minutes, in some locations.

As with all medical and rescue expenses, satellite and platform service fee should be post-paid. You or your insurance company should get an invoice a few weeks after the incident. There is no need to confirm anything or any fees during the incident. It should be a condition or disclose during signup.

I would say, a reasonable invoice would be $8000 per person per incident. You get this 3 weeks after a successful extraction of the person or the body. No need to be fees arranged during the incident.

Kinda like calling for an ambulance in the US, you get the bill after you get out of the hospital. You don’t know and you don’t need to confirm the fees. You pay what you are asked to pay.

 

[NightFox]

@NightFox,

What did you disagree with my observation? You believe that this news do not fall well with the device features, the device did not do what is supposed to do or the device was given for free? With one of this for sure you disagree otherwise your reaction is one of passion rather than reason.

My disagreement was with your suggestion that the whole thing was in some way rigged to drive holiday sales:

Must say it looks very convenient news, right before Christmas....

If English is not your first language then this might not have been your intention, but the post you were responding to and the fact that describing something as 'very convenient' is commonly used to suggest that things have been deliberately staged made me interpret your comment as supporting this suggestion too.

 

[BobSc]

> Thanks for filling out the emergency report, which will be sent to the authorities, as soon as you upgrade to Apple Gold

Apple did a great thing with the satellite SOS. And you guys continue to bash Apple for doing so. I didn't know that much hate existed.

 

[JuniorSun]

This sounds like a PR stunt to me. It’s just so preposterous

exactly what i was thinking. Apple is largest or 2nd largest company on earth by market cap. They could easily falsify or pay for the man to do this.