The Launch Of Apple's SOS Via Satellite – Also Arriving In Select EU Countries By December

The iPhone 14 and 14 Pro both come with a new service that could save lives in emergencies – should there prove to be no available cellular connection, the iPhone can contact emergency services in the form of a short message via satellite. Apple first previewed this feature together with the new iPhone 14 lineup and indicated that the function would first debut in The United States and Canada.

Apple just released this press report yesterday: SOS services have started in North America as of the 16th of November, 2022.





In The First European Countries By December
For Europeans, the press release contained some much more important information: Apple's SOS via satellite feature will begin much earlier than expected in European countries, particularly in Germany, France, Ireland, and the UK. SOS via satellite will be available by December 2022 in all four countries, according to Cupertino. It was generally expected that Apple would require considerably more time until more international integration of the emergency call service – making an early start even in just select European countries surprising.



Still No Information About Prices
For those who just purchased an iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Pro, SOS via satellite is free for two years – and Apple has yet to indicate how much the feature will cost after the end of these two years. The recent press release does imply that Germany and other European countries receiving the service shortly will also receive two years for free – after their device's initial activation date. iOS 16.1 or later is required for the feature to activate.