At the Far Out Apple Event last week, Apple announced a new feature for the iPhone 14: Emergency SOS via satellite. Using the GlobalStar satellite system, it allows users to contact emergency services when out of cell coverage. The service is free to users for the first two years, starting in November.
I enjoy doing solo backpacking section hikes on the Arizona Trail for 3-4 days at a time. The trail goes through very isolated areas with little or no cell coverage.
On these backpacking trips, I carry a Garmin InReach mini, a satellite communicator. With this device, I can call for emergency help with an SOS button, and exchange texts or emails with friends and family when I’m outside of cell coverage.
When I heard Apple’s announcement, I wondered, could I dispense with carrying my Garmin InReach? If so, I’d eliminate the extra weight, reduce the number of electronic devices (InReach, iPhone, and headlamp) I have to charge when on the trail, and eliminate the monthly service fee.
How Emergency SOS Via Satellite Works
While there are still not many details available about how the system works, Apple has released a support page and a video that explains a lot.
When in an emergency, outside of cell phone coverage, users go through the following steps:
- Try calling or texting emergency services.
- If unable to connect, users are given the option to use satellite emergency texting (no voice).
- The interface leads you through a series of questions to identify the nature of the emergency and the circumstances of your location (it already knows your GPS coordinates).
- The iPhone interface helps you to locate a satellite and guides you on where to point your iPhone to establish a connection.
- Once connected, your message is sent to an emergency call center along with your GPS coordinates and your medical information if enabled. Messages can also be sent to your emergency contacts if set up.
Comparing the Features of The Apple Emergency SOS Via Satellite With My Garmin InReach
Non-Emergency Texts and Emails
One of the primary values to me of the Garmin InReach is that it allows me to send and receive non-emergency texts and emails with my wife and others. Both she and I enjoy being able to communicate regularly when outside cell coverage, and it makes her feel much better to be in contact with me when I’m hiking solo.
We use non-emergency texts regularly to stay in touch, and I specifically use it to update her on my status. I send a message when I’m heading out from camp in the morning, stopping for lunch, and when I get to my camp for the evening. I message her when I’m about to shut down the communicator for the night. She knows I’m OK and why I’ve stopped.
The official descriptions of the Apple Emergency SOS via satellite system do not mention the ability to make non-emergency texts. It’s all about emergency communications. The process of connecting to a satellite only starts when the user attempts to call or text emergency call services. There are no provisions for invoking satellite texting in a non-emergency situation.
Following My Progress with GPS Coordinates
Another feature my wife and friends appreciate is that they can track my progress on the Garmin website. My location is shown on a topographical map, with my average hiking speed and GPS location.
Apple indicated during the event that the “Find My” app would also be able to track friends using satellite tracking. They showed a screenshot of a person in the Sierra Nevada mountains with their photo and a satellite icon, presumably indicating this person was out of cell phone range.
While a helpful addition, this does not replicate what Garmin offers. For one thing, there is no indication that “Find My” also shows the person’s GPS coordinates, as the Garmin website does. This could be critical in a search and rescue situation.
I can imagine a scenario where I am injured but unable to call for help. Once I stopped at an old abandoned ranch to filter some water. As I walked out of the enclosure where the pool was, I slammed my forehead into a steel bar just above the rim of my sun hat. It knocked me flat on my back and I laid there for a minute blinking my eyes and wondering if I had a concussion (yes, I hit it that hard). Fortunately, I didn’t and was able to continue my hike.
What if I’d been knocked unconscious? I wouldn’t be able to call for help. On the other hand, if my wife or a friend were monitoring my location, they’d likely start to get concerned if I stopped somewhere in the middle of the day for several hours. They’d try to text me on the Garmin and get no response.
After some time, they’d likely call 911 and report the situation. Their case for concern would be much stronger if they’d been attempting to text me on the Garmin and received no response, and I’d not moved for many hours. They’d also have my GPS coordinates.
This would be a much stronger case for emergency response authorities to act than simply a lack of movement on “Find My.” Authorities would likely suggest that maybe I’d just decided to camp early that day, and want to wait another 24 hours. With unanswered satellite texts, my wife’s case for a likely emergency becomes much stronger.
Future Emergency SOS Via Satellite Improvements and Features?
Since Apple Watch has fall detection, I wondered, would the Emergency SOS via satellite system be triggered if I fell and did not respond to my watch alert? If my watch automatically dialed 911, and I was outside of cell coverage, would my iPhone automatically initiate Emergency SOS via satellite? That would protect me against my demonstrated inclination to run into steel bars with my forehead, and potentially knock myself out.
There’s no indication from Apple Emergency SOS via satellite would be triggered by a fall detection call. And, the process they describe for initiating Emergency SOS via satellite requires a user to select emergency texting, answer a series of questions, and point their iPhone in the direction of a satellite.
It appears that an automatic call to 911 after a fall will not initiate Emergency SOS via satellite. Perhaps that will be a future feature addition. That would be an excellent safety feature since not even my dedicated Garmin satellite communicator can do that. It’s the one emergency scenario I don’t have direct coverage for when I’m hiking solo in the wild. It’s always a concern in the back of my mind, and even more so for my wife.
Maybe in the future, Apple will provide for non-emergency satellite communication. After all, this is a brand-new feature, and it’s not unusual for Apple to start with a basic feature and then add improvements over time.
My Decision? I’m Keeping My Garmin InReach for Now
The Apple Emergency SOS via satellite system is a great new feature, but it won’t be replacing my Garmin InReach yet.
- On my Garmin, I can make non-emergency texts and emails. That’s a key feature and benefit for me and my wife. The Apple system does not appear to support non-emergency texting.
- The Garmin already gives me access to emergency services by simply pushing a bright orange SOS button on the side.
- My wife and friends can follow me on a topographical map on the Garmin website. They can also see my average speed and GPS coordinates. That information, along with the ability to attempt to text me outside of cell coverage, could be crucial in speeding up a search and rescue if I lose consciousness or otherwise can’t respond.
The new Emergency SOS via satellite system is a great feature for casual hikers, bikers, and others who might visit areas with no cell coverage. I’m sure it can and will save lives.
Maybe in the future, my iPhone and Apple Watch will be able to replace all the features in my Garmin InReach, and even add more such as automatic fall detection satellite texting. Until that time, I’ll continue to carry my Garmin as well as my iPhone, and I’ll use the Emergency SOS via Satellite feature on the iPhone as a backup.