Its great that this feature exists. The iPhone has been the single most important innovation in this world and impacted my life the most. The Apple Ecosystem is the most complete and the Satelite option compliments it in a great way.
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Elon Musk's SpaceX to Launch Satellites for Apple's Emergency SOS Feature on iPhones
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Not saying you're alone with your fanboy wars, but you started it here and more or less invited the other side to join.
It should break elons mind (if there's anything left to break). That guy hates Apple so much, probably because he knows he'll never get where Apple is, a hard thing for a narcissist.
Anti semitic Elon.
Let’s never compare him to Steve Jobs.
He’s not even a shadow of Jobs.
In terms of having a human-rated, human-launching service, there is SpaceX's Falcon + Dragon, and NASA's hyper-expensive, launch-every-2-years SLS + Orion. ULA & Boeing's Atlas V + Starliner might be available next year, if anyone trusts Boeing.
In terms of just satellite launch, there's SpaceX, ULA, Northrup-Grumman, and Rocket Lab. Perhaps in the next few years there's Firefly, Relativity Space, Blue Origin, ABL Space, Stoke Space, and Astra.
Jonathan P. Ive gets 2,341 results....
I would say this method of trying to proof who "invented" more is pretty useless.
Not that it even matters. Elon Musk is definitely not an inventor. Steve Jobs wasn't either. But the people who are, are usually not good at bringing their inventions to market. Both Steve and Elon seem(ed) to have the VISION and DRIVE to bring something to market, that most people don't believe in or can't envision how it might be something great, because it is different from what they are used to or nothing comparable even exists yet.
Having an idea or discovering a major breakthrough does not automatically change the world. Someone needs to make it happen.
Yes, there's an upside to this. But there's a downside: contributing to the destruction of ground-based astonomy. It's a genuine problem and it's only going to get worse.
Apple was founded in 1976. Tesla in 2003.
I would say Tesla has done an incredible job to catch up in such a short time.
A bit early to say "never".
I'm assuming you were talking about Tesla. Because it makes no sense to compare a person with a company.
And hate seems a bit strong. He has been seen using an iPhone many times. I would not use a product of a company i hate, would you?
Um, he owns the company so he owns the patents. It doesn't mean that he was deeply involved with the technical development. My brother worked for Bell Labs. Everything he developed (even things he did at home) was the property of Ma Bell.Easily disproved.
Elon Musk Inventions, Patents and Patent Applications - Justia Patents Search
USPTO patent applications submitted by and patents granted to Elon Muskpatents.justia.com
Come on! It is not must pay subscription base feature for all iPhone users. No one will buy iPhone if ever iPhone users have to pay subscription for.
But, Apple can make this satellite SOS or even 2-way satellite regular messaging and charge per usage base.
In future add, 2-way satellite voice communication with small antenna attachment and again charge per usage basis.
If you like to use feature, pay for that specific use or buy month-to-month at cheaper rate.
PROBLEM SOLVE!
But, Apple can make this satellite SOS or even 2-way satellite regular messaging and charge per usage base.
In future add, 2-way satellite voice communication with small antenna attachment and again charge per usage basis.
If you like to use feature, pay for that specific use or buy month-to-month at cheaper rate.
PROBLEM SOLVE!
I think it's unlikely the iPhone will become a sat phone. The power required to maintain a voice call would be too much to be practical. And the cell tower system already exists. The emergency feature is more practical since it would not be frequently used.
People putting themselves in stupid situations don’t usually think that far out though….so having it on a phone is actually the way to go, should they need it.
That is so funny! You apparently fail to understand it was Musk's vision to make access to space relatively economical - reducing costs by around 20x through much superior designs and reusability of rockets.
Before SpaceX the main launch services providers were Lockheed-Martin and Boeing (ULA - United Launch Alliance) and Northrup Grumman (via acquiring TRW).
SpaceX has taken a ton of business from the above companies, including offering much better services at a relatively economical price. The US Government, one of their most demanding customers for national security payloads, used to contract with the above companies and now uses SpaceX.
I guess in order for Musk to be considered a visionary and worthy of taking some credit, in your view he should have been writing code or welding rocket boosters.
Are people reading way too much into this? From what I can tell, Globalstar is simply contracting SpaceX to launch their new satellites, they're not contracting them to operate and run them. It's simply the delivery vehicle, just like how our military and many other businesses are using the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy to launch their own equipment
iPhone users who travel to non-cell covered remote icelands, places for vacation or busines can use satellite feature when needed for short text or voice communication. Use extra battery accessory for power. For emergency, SOS is always their.
and yet here you are defending him vigorously within one minute of this post coming up
Has SLS + Orion actually been used for human travel yet? I know it is rated for that and I think the plan is to someday use it to send folks to the Moon, but I don't know if it has actually taken any passengers yet.
Thanks for the rundown on the satellite launchers operating in the US.
Welcome to MacRumors, you must be new here.
Give me a break. Elon is not personally delivering them, his company is proving the rockets to put Globalstars satellites into space. That in no way makes him part of Apple‘s “supply chain”. 🤣
A lot of people are saying Apple will charge a monthly fee for the SOS service once the free service has expired. I am not so sure. First, while I am sure the service is not cheap, by most standards, it probably costs Apple very little compared to their overall budget. It is not like this service is being constantly being used. The satellites being used are mulitpurpose and SOS is probably only using a fraction of the bandwidth. The call center is likely a combined call center for other emergency services.
But, the bigger issue is the public perception. Imagine the first time someone tries to use the SOS feature and the can't get through because they don't pay for the service. Doesn't matter if Apple is right or wrong here (and they would be legally right), the bad press would overwhelming. Apple loves the good press it gets when someone is saved using this service.
About a year ago, VW was dragged in to a similar situation. Like many other cars, they offer a service to track your car if it is stolen, for a fee. Well someone had their car stolen with a child inside. The police tried calling VW to help track the car and got told that, since there was no active subscription, they would not help. Whether VW was legally right or wrong, they got a ton of bad press. As a result, all VW owners got 5 years of the service for free.
But, the bigger issue is the public perception. Imagine the first time someone tries to use the SOS feature and the can't get through because they don't pay for the service. Doesn't matter if Apple is right or wrong here (and they would be legally right), the bad press would overwhelming. Apple loves the good press it gets when someone is saved using this service.
About a year ago, VW was dragged in to a similar situation. Like many other cars, they offer a service to track your car if it is stolen, for a fee. Well someone had their car stolen with a child inside. The police tried calling VW to help track the car and got told that, since there was no active subscription, they would not help. Whether VW was legally right or wrong, they got a ton of bad press. As a result, all VW owners got 5 years of the service for free.
On reading this I wondered what Canadian company is manufacturing and selling the satellite equipment. A quick search with DuckDuckGo came up with this story:
Apple satellite partner Globalstar is paying Elon Musk's SpaceX to launch new satellites that will be used to update the communication network for the Emergency SOS via Satellite iPhone feature, reports Nola.
Globalstar will pay SpaceX $64 million according to the details of the arrangement, which were disclosed in an SEC filing. Payments will be made from 2023 to 2025, which is when SpaceX plans to launch the satellites.
Apple introduced Emergency SOS via Satellite last year alongside the new iPhone 14 models. The technology allows the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max to contact emergency services when no WiFi or cellular connection is available.
Globalstar is Apple's partner for the initiative, handling the satellites that allow the feature to function. Apple at launch said that Emergency SOS via Satellite would be free for two years, and so far has not provided insight into what it might eventually cost.
The $64 million that Globalstar is paying SpaceX is likely just a fraction of the cost of running the satellites, and that cost is being passed along to Apple, so it stands to reason that Apple will eventually be charging at least a small fee for those who want to use the SOS option.
Globalstar has agreed to allocate 85 percent of its current and future network capacity to Apple's iPhones, with Globalstar providing and maintaining all personnel, software, satellite systems, and more, while also maintaining minimum quality and coverage standards. Prior to when the iPhone 14 models launched, Globalstar bought $327 million worth of satellite equipment from a Canadian company, with Apple loaning Globalstar $252 million.
Emergency SOS via Satellite is available in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, the UK, Austria, Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, and Portugal.
Article Link: Elon Musk's SpaceX to Launch Satellites for Apple's Emergency SOS Feature on iPhones
MDA Wins $327M Satellite Order from Globalstar, Issues Bus Subcontract to Rocket Lab
Globalstar purchased 17 new 500 kg satellites on Thursday from Canadian manufacturer Macdonald, Dettwiler and Associates Corporation (MDA) in order to
www.satellitetoday.com
So Macdonald, Dettwiler and Associates Corporation (MDA) is the manufacturer and we now know that
the unnamed "potential customer" in the above article is Apple.
For those linking this to Elon and Space X -- true Space X is getting them to orbit, but, once they are orbiting they are are not going to be part of Elon's StarLink service. They are going to be additions to a competing service run by GlobalStar. Good to have some competition in LEO -- with some help from Apple fronting the cash to get the upgraded satellites built to upgrade GlobalStar's constellation.
Martin