Off-grid does not mean luck. Apple’s satellite service will be connected directly to overhead satellites when there is no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage, and will at least continue to be free. This feature is a significant selling point for Apple devices, which allows iPhone users to text messages within range and ask for urgent help.
Apple’s free satellite connection service is Due to being cut For current owners this year iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 models, but the timeline has now expanded to 2026. This means that if you have (some sort of older) iPhone, you should still be able to access emergency SOS, contact curbside help, send your location to a contact or communicate via SMS if only satellite connections are connected.
When Apple unveiled satellite features in 2022, it said the service will be free for two years. In 2024, Apple shifts the date to 2025 when the original free window is about to expire. Now, the company has delayed this timeline by one year iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 model.
exist Newly released iPhone 17 news releaseApple notes that “the free trial will be extended to iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users who activated a country that supports Apple’s satellite capabilities by PT on September 9, 2025.” In other words, if you buy an old iPhone 14 or 15 immediately and plan to turn it on after that date, you won’t get this extended satellite service.
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Emergency satellite functions are increasingly competitive for companies. One of the new key features just announced Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 The ability to communicate via satellite even if the paired iPhone is not nearby or the battery is out of power. Those who buy a new iPhone or this year’s Apple SmartWatch model will receive free emergency SOS satellite service within two years.
I drove 120 miles and found an area that was not covered by a cellular network.
T-Mobile has recently launched T-Satellite Service, which runs on the SpaceX Starlink satellite network. Emergency calls are free, but via text link or application It is a paid service that costs $10 per month. T-Mobile customers can add it to their existing plans (it has outstripped the experience price of the next plan for GO5G). Customers of other cellular service providers can use the auxiliary ESIM in their phone to add T-Satellite as a standalone service.
Apple has received satellite service from Globalstar, and recently it Invested $1.5 billion Utilize Globalstar’s satellite network. when I tested the T-satellite Earlier this year, on my iPhone 16 Pro, I also used Apple’s service, which will serve as a fallback if another satellite service is active.
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