Apple @lemmy.world LazaroFilm @lemmy.world 8 mo. ago

Apple extends Emergency SOS via satellite for an additional free year for existing iPhone 14 users

www.apple.com Apple extends Emergency SOS via satellite for an additional free year

Apple is extending Emergency SOS via satellite for an additional free year for existing iPhone 14 users.

49 comments

This really should not be a paid service. Can you imagine the headlines: family died after being stranded because they didn’t pay for satellite rescue on their phone.
- to get rescued, please give the numbers on your credit card.
  
  Transaction failed. Move to an area with better network service.
  
  The price to be rescued is now $1000, in 30 minutes it will increase it to $2000. Would you like to be rescued?
  
  Yes
  
  Ask again later
  
  Just give me something for the pain and let me die
  
  It’s like that whole Volkswagen thing again!
- It sucks because this is one of those things you don’t need them until you really do. Pay as you go model would be ok for me. Emergency? Sure, take a 100€ from my credit card just get me the hell out of here.
  
  What if that number was 10 grand? Higher?
  
  That's more in line with what covering the costs with "only pay if you actually have to connect" looks like. Actual forest services offer similar programs in some places, where you pay a small annual fee as "insurance" against being liable for needing to be rescued if you're negligent and need it. Capacity is expensive and use of these types of services is simply not common enough to benefit from economies of scale. You can't make your costs back that way without charging out the ass when it's needed.
  
  Yep. I agree. And most people have a card attached to their Apple ID so that may work.
- RTFA, it’s free and always has been. They’ve never even floated a price.
- You act like the helicopter ride to bring you back to safety isn’t going to bankrupt you for the rest of your life anyway. This is America we’re talking about
  
  Edit: at least in the US* I should have said
  
  I don’t mind it if the ride is paid, I think putting a “sorry you didn’t pay in advance so you can’t get a ride when you need it” is the issue.
  
  Satellites do in fact go over other countries.
- I'd imagine this is one reason why they're extending the free service. It would be a PR nightmare for Apple if that were to occur.
  
  But I think the biggest reason why is because the 14 models are still actively being sold by Apple themselves. The Emergency SOS feature is a big marketing point for those models so I can see them dropping the free service as they get dropped from sale.
- You want to nationalise the service? Who's going to pay for it?
  
  Is Siri nationalized? No. And yet it uses cloud server computations. Maybe a service model like 1 or 2 free calls per year then pay per call would be a better model. That allows people to get themselves out of a bad situation and discover that this emergency function is useful. Then if a call is made later, it get credited to your cc attached to your Apple ID, just like buying an app.
- Of course the Lemmy user thinks the service that costs money to run should be free.
  
  Siri costs money and is free. This is a feature you don’t use unless you’re in an emergency situation. I would be okay to pay for it but not as a subscription as they were hinting.
  
  Oh like the GPS system?
Surely they have enough money to offer it free and just make it another selling point for iPhone over android. It’s not like they charge for Siri (yet).
- I’d imagine they’d just roll it into AppleOne when time comes. Even if it were standalone at $30 it would be competitive for those more outdoorsy.
  
  A lot of folks on online forums really don’t understand how shocking it is to even offer this kind of service for free for a year, much less two or more.
  
  $30 wouldn’t be competitive at all. A basic Garmin InReach subscription is $15 a month.
  
  With Apples massive user base, they should be able to just include it in Apple One or as a standalone for a couple bucks a month. They would instantly have more revenue just from that than Garmin does from InReach.
- Capitalists do nothing for free because they are callous, heartless monsters.
It really blows my mind that Apple doesn’t offer this as a free service for owners of the phone. I mean can you imagine this as a selling point for parents alone?
- Not sure what you’re talking about. Did you even read the article? It’s free and always has been. They’ve never even brought up a price.
  
  The stories of people saved are marketing gold for Apple.
  
  The only context to view their language (extending free year) is that they intend to switch to some form of a paid model i.e bundled or standalone.
  
  I'm not commenting on whether that's good, or bad, just that it's clearly what they are planning on doing. Otherwise, they wouldn't use that specific language.
  
  I did read the article but maybe I am confused so feel free to clarify for me.
  
  The article states:
  
  ‘Apple extends Emergency SOS via satellite for an additional free year for existing iPhone 14 users’
  
  So the implication is it isn’t free after that time. What about other iPhone users? Is this free for everyone irregardless who has any model iPhone or just the 14?
- That’s exactly what they’re doing right now. They’ve not made an indefinite commitment to it, but it’s the second free year for a device enter its second year.

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