IF YOU find yourself in a spot of trouble, the Apple iPhone 14 can help, with a new Emergency SOS via Satellite feature.
The new feature can be accessed if users are outside a wi-fi service area, in a black spot or are unable to connect to triple 0.
If triple 0 is called but doesn’t connect, an option will allow the user to send an emergency text via satellite, or users can simply press and hold the side button on the iPhone until the Emergency SOS slider pops up.
The feature establishes a satellite connection, and it will then prompt the user to answer a few questions about the emergency situation, such as, if someone is lost, injured or about the terrain.
These pre-determined questions help to condense the information that needs to be sent via satellite to speed things up, as messages sent via satellite can take longer to send than regular messages.
The information is relayed to Apple-trained emergency specialists who then contact emergency services call centres on the user’s behalf.
Len Whyoon, Loch CFA Captain, believes it’s a great idea especially if someone is lost or injured in a remote or hard to get to area, or outside an area of reception.
“At least they can make contact with emergency services and that way it can, one, identify them as being in trouble to start with and rather than, so many times people go missing and it takes six or seven days before people actually realise there are missing, and they’re not just off doing their own thing, so I think it’s a great idea. I’m actually looking at upgrading my phone myself now.”
The feature however, isn't failsafe, as there needs to be battery on the phone and the satellite technology might not be always be reliable. It can be difficult to make a connection, particularly from under a thick canopy of trees, down a deep gully or blocked by tall structures like mountains and canyons.
Apple advises users to be outside and have a clear view of the sky and horizon for the best possible connection.
To use the Emergency SOS via Satellite feature, the iPhone 14 model will need to be running iOS 16.4 or later and the service is free for two years.