An ad for the Apple Watch Series 7 released on Saturday reminds users it can be used to make a 911 call, in a video playing back calls to emergency services placed via the wearable device.
The Apple Watch has been cited in the past with saving lives, largely through its health monitoring and fall detection capabilities. In a minute-long YouTube video, Apple sheds light on the ability to contact emergency services through the device.
In the sobering ad spot, parts of three 911 calls are played, depicting different situations where the callers need help. The first involves a woman whose car had flipped, with water entering the vehicle and reaching the driver's neck.
The second caller is a paddle boarder who was blown out to sea by a hard wind, and is struggling to return to land. The third was a farmer who broke their leg after a 21-foot fall.
Switching between the situations, more details of each person's predicament are revealed in their conversations with operators. In each case, the call was made via an Apple Watch.
In a post-script title card, Apple states "With the help of their watch, Jason, Jim, and Amanda were rescued in minutes."
While the ability to contact emergency services has received praise for saving lives, there are occasional instances where it makes calls accidentally. In June, a police department in Kansas complained that accidental triggering of such calls by the Apple Watch are pulling responders away from genuine emergencies.
The Emergency SOS feature will automatically make a call to first responders if the side button is held for a period of time. Users are able to customize or disable the feature, if they don't want to risk the chance of an accidental call.
7 Comments
If this ad doesn’t move you, check your pulse — you’re at the very least dead inside.
Amazingly, not even mentioned in the ad is the Watch’s ability to call emergency services and your designated emergency contact if you are unable to respond in the event of a fall or crash. For all it can do and the difference it can make in your quality of life, the Apple Watch is invaluable.
Trigger warning would’ve been decent