iPhone 14: emergency calls by satellite will be possible in France before the end of the year

Users of the latest iPhone 14s will soon be able to make emergency calls using their device’s satellite connectivity. Although this technology can lead to abuses, there is no denying that it could save lives in extreme cases.

The possibility of making emergency calls from the satellite connection integrated in the iPhone 14 has been announced since September 2022. It is finally available for US and Canadian users, provided that they have downloaded the latest update. ‘iOS 16.

Additionally, Apple added thatthey will be possible from December in France, but also in Germany, Ireland and the United Kingdom. When this feature was presented, there was no question that it would arrive on the Old Continent for a few years. It is therefore an excellent surprise for us Europeans.

Satellite emergency calls will arrive first in the United States and Canada, and in France a month later

They can now call the emergency services free of charge from their smartphone in areas with little or no service from traditional telephone operators. This feature was made possible in North America through a partnership between Apple and Globalstar, an American satellite phone company.

To read – iPhone 14: emergency calls by satellite, a dangerous idea according to some experts

This technological feat is not trivial, because it does not rely on the same infrastructure used by operators such as Starlink. There is no question here of using a special antenna. Only the chip integrated into the iPhone 14 is used; a small technological feat that will have cost the company no less than $450 million to install antennas and other equipment.

Emergency calls can be made at the user’s initiative, by dialing the emergency police number, or by asking Siri. The Emergency Call device is automatically triggered if a collision is detected and there is no manipulation to be done to switch from a cellular connection to the satellite antenna. The device will give you the instructions to follow so that the communication takes place in the best possible conditions, but if you are immobilized or unconscious, the iPhone 14 will still try to call 911 (or 15 in France).

Source: TechCrunch