Apple has extended its offer of free access to the Emergency SOS via satellite service for iPhone 14 users.
When Apple launched the iPhone 14 range in late 2022, one of the main new features was the ability to contact emergency services when there’s no mobile or Wi-Fi signal, courtesy of satellite connectivity.
While this is a clever feature that’s since made its way to 16 countries (including the UK) and the recent iPhone 15 family, it’s easy to forget that it was never intended to be a free service. Apple originally offered it free for two years, which meant that early adopters would have reached the end of their free usage period in November 2024.
Now Apple has announced that it has extended the free period of its Emergency SOS via satellite service by a year to November 2025. This means that iPhone 14 early adopters will have had free access to the service for three years by the time it expires, while iPhone 15 users will have had it for two years.
How much you’ll actually need to pay for the Emergency SOS via satellite service when this free period ends hasn’t been disclosed by Apple. Will there be a way to sign up for it when you actually need it in a pinch?
Will it reflect badly on Apple if and when stories emerge of people reaching for the service when a serious situation arises, and finding themselves paywalled out of a potentially lifesaving feature right when it matters most?
If nothing else, Apple’s latest announcement has allowed it to kick that particular can of worms down the road.
Originally posted 2023-11-15 13:07:39.