What you need to know
- Apple is expected to unveil its new iPhone later this year.
- Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says it could feature satellite connectivity for emergencies.
- It would allow emergency texting and SOS response over satellite, and will also one day feature in Apple Watch.
A new report says that Apple's iPhone 14 could feature satellite connectivity for emergency texting and SOS response, a feature that will make its way to Apple Watch one day.
In an extensive new Apple Watch report Gurman notes the company is planning to one day bring satellite connectivity to Apple Watch for the purpose of emergency texting and SOS response features. Before then, however, he says that feature will first debut in the iPhone, possibly this year:
It's planning to release those capabilities on iPhone as early as this year. The technology would allow users to send text messages to emergency personnel over satellite networks and report incidents.
This is a feature that was previously rumored to be iPhone 13 before its release last year, Gurman at the time stating Apple's current best iPhone would have possible emergency features for transmitting short emergency text messages and sending SOS distress signals in crises like a plane crash or a sinking ship.
In the report, Gurman reiterated his prediction that Apple plans to unveil not one, not two, but three new Apple Watch this year, including a new Series 8 model, a new low-cost SE, and a new rugged model "aimed at extreme athletes."
He also stated that watchOs 9 would get a new low-power mode that will let users have more functionality on devices like the Apple Watch Series 7 than the current low-power mode, which limits the watch to all but telling the time.
