Owners of devices as old as the iPhone 14 lineup have been granted an additional year of free satellite features, courtesy of Apple.
At its "Awe Dropping" event on September 9, Apple revealed that it would continue to offer satellite features to iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 owners at no charge for an additional year.
Apple says the "free trial" will be extended to users who have activated satellite features before 12 A.M. PT on September 9, in a supported country.
Most notably, this includes Apple's Emergency SOS via satellite feature. The technology lets users share their location via satellite using Find My. It also lets users reach emergency services without a phone or Wi-Fi signal.
Emergency SOS via satellite helps users first locate a satellite overhead, letting them point the iPhone in the right direction as that satellite passes. To make the most of limited bandwidth and the impossibility of maintaining a connection for very long, the iOS app asks questions.
It prompts the user through the kinds of questions that any emergency response service would, such as whether anyone is injured. The app then collates that information, puts it into a text message which is heavily compressed, and then sends it to the satellite.
While Emergency SOS via Satellite was announced at WWDC 2022, Apple has gradually expanded iPhone satellite capabilities to include satellite-based iMessage in 2024. This lets users stay in touch with their loved ones even without Wi-FI or a cellular connection.
Satellite Messages will automatically display a notification to prompt users to connect to the nearest satellite from the Lock screen or within the Messages app. Once connected, users can send and receive text messages, as well as emojis and Tapbacks from iMessage and SMS.
iMessage via satellite is great for users who spend considerable time in remote areas, such as during camping or hiking trips.
The Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 have debuted with support for satellite features as well. At its September 9 event, Apple also unveiled the ultra-thin iPhone Air, iPhone 17, and iPhone 17 Pro, along with AirPods Pro 3, and more.
