iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max review: Just different enough
iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max review: Just different enough
Image credit: Cherlynn Low / Engadget
SOS and eSIM emergency setup
All iPhone 14s, Pro or not, will be able to connect to satellites so you can send emergency messages when cellular or Wi-Fi signals aren't available. Using a new high-speed accelerometer and high dynamic range gyroscope, they're also able to detect if you've been in a serious vehicle accident. It's not something I can safely test, so we'll have to take the company's word that the feature works. Meanwhile, Emergency SOS via satellite is rolling out in November in the US, so I haven't been able to verify that either. But from a demo I took after the Apple event, it seemed to work.
First, when you're away from cellular and WiFi networks, you'll see an SOS graphic that tells you that you can still dial 911 and iPhone will use any other available network to place your call. But when none of these are available and you want to use Emergency SOS via satellite, you must first use the Phone app to dial 911. When the device fails to connect and you are in a satellite access situation (i.e. you are not surrounded by buildings and are in the wild with a clear view of the sky), Apple will prompt you to use satellite communications.< /p>
Having to dial 911 first doesn't seem intuitive if your goal is to try texting or connecting to a satellite, but Apple wants you to think of this feature more as a backup for calling services emergency. Only when you are unable to connect to 911 should you consider satellite messaging as a fallback. The company has also set up relay centres, with staff trained to help users contact the nearest emergency services in case there are none nearby that accept text messages.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget
During my demo, an Apple representative demonstrated what it would look like when communicating with such a relay center (presumably aware that we were in a hypothetical situation). After failing to reach 911, the iPhone 14 showed a few multiple-choice questions to which the representative quickly answered, describing their condition and surroundings. The system then sent a report summarizing the situation and providing the latitude and longitude of our location. While sending this message, our iPhone 14 demo seemed to lose connection to the satellite it had initially locked onto and we had to wait for another to pass to finish sending the report. When this was done, the phone resumed the conversation it had started in Messages with emergency services.
Texts sent via satellite were in gray bubbles, while replies returned in green. We went back and forth with the speaker until a theoretical team was dispatched to the site.
The satellite communication tool can also be used in the Find My app to share your location with family and friends. I was able to test this during the demo and followed the instructions on an iPhone 14 to point to a satellite coming on the horizon behind Apple Park. I was told to hold still while a connection was established, after which my location was sent to a contact on the sample iPhone. The system will tell your friends that your location was shared "via satellite" - in case those bragging rights are important to you. Then you will not be able to send your position via satellite for 15 minutes.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget
While I can see people misusing it for entertainment, I can also see how it could be useful to keep your loved ones informed of your whereabouts while you wander through the wilderness. This shouldn't be a feature that impacts your daily life, but it could be very useful if you lost your signal while exploring.
Another change in the iPhone 14 is the removal of the SIM card tray. I have long believed that a SIM-free world is a seamless
All iPhone 14s, Pro or not, will be able to connect to satellites so you can send emergency messages when cellular or Wi-Fi signals aren't available. Using a new high-speed accelerometer and high dynamic range gyroscope, they're also able to detect if you've been in a serious vehicle accident. It's not something I can safely test, so we'll have to take the company's word that the feature works. Meanwhile, Emergency SOS via satellite is rolling out in November in the US, so I haven't been able to verify that either. But from a demo I took after the Apple event, it seemed to work.
First, when you're away from cellular and WiFi networks, you'll see an SOS graphic that tells you that you can still dial 911 and iPhone will use any other available network to place your call. But when none of these are available and you want to use Emergency SOS via satellite, you must first use the Phone app to dial 911. When the device fails to connect and you are in a satellite access situation (i.e. you are not surrounded by buildings and are in the wild with a clear view of the sky), Apple will prompt you to use satellite communications.< /p>
Having to dial 911 first doesn't seem intuitive if your goal is to try texting or connecting to a satellite, but Apple wants you to think of this feature more as a backup for calling services emergency. Only when you are unable to connect to 911 should you consider satellite messaging as a fallback. The company has also set up relay centres, with staff trained to help users contact the nearest emergency services in case there are none nearby that accept text messages.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget
During my demo, an Apple representative demonstrated what it would look like when communicating with such a relay center (presumably aware that we were in a hypothetical situation). After failing to reach 911, the iPhone 14 showed a few multiple-choice questions to which the representative quickly answered, describing their condition and surroundings. The system then sent a report summarizing the situation and providing the latitude and longitude of our location. While sending this message, our iPhone 14 demo seemed to lose connection to the satellite it had initially locked onto and we had to wait for another to pass to finish sending the report. When this was done, the phone resumed the conversation it had started in Messages with emergency services.
Texts sent via satellite were in gray bubbles, while replies returned in green. We went back and forth with the speaker until a theoretical team was dispatched to the site.
The satellite communication tool can also be used in the Find My app to share your location with family and friends. I was able to test this during the demo and followed the instructions on an iPhone 14 to point to a satellite coming on the horizon behind Apple Park. I was told to hold still while a connection was established, after which my location was sent to a contact on the sample iPhone. The system will tell your friends that your location was shared "via satellite" - in case those bragging rights are important to you. Then you will not be able to send your position via satellite for 15 minutes.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget
While I can see people misusing it for entertainment, I can also see how it could be useful to keep your loved ones informed of your whereabouts while you wander through the wilderness. This shouldn't be a feature that impacts your daily life, but it could be very useful if you lost your signal while exploring.
Another change in the iPhone 14 is the removal of the SIM card tray. I have long believed that a SIM-free world is a seamless
