First Look at Messages via Satellite in iOS 18

[gaximus]

Inbound satellite messaging only for your:
1. Emergency contact set up in iPhone
2. Family listed in Family Sharing in Apple ID
:can send you a satellite message.
So if you have a different emergency contact than your family, the max number of people who can send you a satellite message is 6 people. 5 if your emergency contact is also a member of your family sharing.
Otherwise you’d have to initiate the satellite message.
And don’t be that guy abusing the system for the people that really need it to contact first responders, like me

I believe that is only for sms messaging, all imessages are unlimited.

 

[JapanApple]

I couldn't care less about YouTube annoyances like these. But it's good to see Cnet content has Validity Kurt Knight

 

[svish]

Can be a very useful feature. Waiting for it to be available in other countries too.

 

[NightFox]

It would be good if this can be forced even where there is still a network connection for those cases where it’s too weak to actually send/receive a message, but the phone still ‘hangs on’ to the signal.

 

[Fuzzball84]

A truly great feature

 

[Kevin2055]

Catching up? Huawei announced theirs a who day before Apple. And have you seen the users trying to use their implementation. It is not great. Not to mention Huawei’s only works in China. Apple’s is in far more countries and also will be global as some point. I do not think they need to catch up.

Which planet’s day are you referring to?

 

[adrianlondon]

How long before "influencers" start updating Facebook and Twitter (sorry X) while flying?

If you put the phone in Flight mode, will it offer Satellite?

The question is, will it work on a plane? ✈️

Satellite phones don't work in aircraft, as they don't work when surrounded by metal.

The airline would need to give access to the satellite aerial they already have installed for their own wifi. As they usually market/sell that for profit, I suspect they won't allow one to bypass it.

 

[JungeQuex]

I spent about 7 years running a used satphone resale business on eBay. The market had some heavy deflationary action take place in 2023 and I exited the business. I wondered at the time if the emergency satellite messaging was going to expand to regular messaging, and here we are. Smartphones are actually going to obsolete out a satphone down the road in a lot of use cases moving forward. Maybe not in the most extreme of environments, but certainly in most use cases. Incredible.

 

[henryhbk]

imagine if Earnest Shackleton had an iOS 18 iPhone instead of the whole trapped on his ship thing, he could have sent a boat+snow+peach+freezing emoji and gotten rescued quickly…

 

[Silverado]

Do all these videos have to be vetted by Apple? Because both CNET and iJustine demos feature the exact same iMessage recipients and even messages; like both videos are super scripted.

Yes. The feature is not yet released.

 

[aleni]

Cool stuff, but my fat arse would never ever need to use this feature.

 

[cfountain72]

Roadside Assistance? I don't remember hearing about this.

 

[Hobbes42]

Incredibly underrated feature that very few are discussing!

Smartphones are fundamentally communication tools. Satellite connectivity brings an entire new avenue of communication to the conventional smartphone, exponentially increasing coverage and introducing a new way to communicate in emergencies that were never before possible.

EVERY phone needs this.

Dare I say, the biggest new fundamental feature to a smartphone since they added usable mobile data over 15 years ago.

(Yes I am aware satellite phones and beacons have existed for many years. But they are discrete devices separate to the conventional mobile phone which everyone has now. The most useful tool is the one you have with you, always.)

Agreed. Killer feature, and the kind of feature that you’re not going to appreciate until you need it.

This is the kind of thing that makes me happy to be an Apple fan. Just objectively good.

 

[MrTSolar]

Funny, how we will be able to get a satellite signal from space but I can't get a good AT&T signal at my house.

Radio signals don't travel through dirt. Odds are the only AT&T tower in range of you is behind a hill.

 

[MrTSolar]

Roadside Assistance? I don't remember hearing about this.

Announced with iOS 17.

 

[MrTSolar]

I wouldn't mind ditching my phone number and going iMessage exclusively over satellite and Wi-Fi. The garbage phone calls and text messages are really getting old, and because of my work, I'm unable to use the Block Unknown Callers feature.

 

[ignatius345]

Ugh. There goes my plausible deniability for not answering texts.

 

[ignatius345]

So, if you were in a different country, could you just rely on satellite messaging?

My understanding is that it only becomes available when you have no connection to a cell tower or wifi. I'd assume that a cell tower not on your network still "counts". Maybe I'm wrong about this?

 

[mosesvii]

Good to see Apple catching up. Hope see voice calling over satellite soon.

Catching up? What other phones do this for free?

 

[centauratlas]

No one has mentioned cost. It is "currently" free. iJustine said it would be free for 2 years - but what is proposed monthly/annual cost to have access to this service after that?

My guess is that it will be part of iCloud subscription at some level

 

[bladerunner88]

Does this feature still work let's say in the middle of the desert but underground a few feet, asking for a friend.

Porkchop-76 lets say you were in the Middle of The Sand Pit in a Hide, you might need to give your iPhone a clear shot at the sky u know to call in CAS or inquire when the REMF's are gunna send in some more 556 or MRE's Jus sayin...Out.

 

[tooloud10]

And don’t be that guy abusing the system for the people that really need it to contact first responders, like me

How am I abusing the system that Apple is marketing directly to me as a free upgrade on my $1500 telephone?

 

[dork]

This feature will save lives.

 

[MrTSolar]

No one has mentioned cost. It is "currently" free. iJustine said it would be free for 2 years - but what is proposed monthly/annual cost to have access to this service after that?

Good question, but if you upgrade phones every year or two, wouldn't this extend the free period?

 

[jimbobb24]

With Starlink and Globalstar we are entering a new age. The Starlink network is growing fast with lots of data. It's going to be an option on all the phones eventually. So cool.