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Comment by lxgr | Hacker News Reader

Comparable services charge about $10-20 for a plan with a handful of messages and 50 cent per message in excess of that, and $50 or so for a monthly flat rate.

SOS is only possible with a monthly plan, but I‘d guess that Apple might make that one free (it wouldn‘t make for good press to hear of the inevitable lost hiker holding a fully charged iPhone but no emergency calling plan).

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I think SOS would almost have to be free on iPhones for the reason you stated. Besides, it would probably pay for itself because it would be such a great selling point. Could see a fair number of Android users switching for having emergency access available anywhere.

And it would be great free advertising. I'm just imagining the first news story with a lost hiker rescued because of their iPhone. It would make a big impact.

I am not so sure about the advertising. Apple is already doing that with people who get saved by the watch and those don't then to make huge splashy headlines.

the watch doesn't give you connectivity anywhere your phone wouldn't. the people being rescued because they called from help from their watch are being rescued from areas with good cell coverage, they just didn't bring their phone with them.

it's a different story if they're offering satellite connectivity.

Most of the people in the stories were rescued because of the watch fall detection features, which Apple wanted to highlight.

> Could see a fair number of Android users switching

LOL. If Apple is getting this then Android will get this, if not sooner (think Google Fi), since this is built in the radio chip (something Apple still buys from 3rd party).

not if they have exclusive agreements with the satellite provider

Sat providers have SIM cards just like any other provider providing the providings (remember phonejacker?)

What’s stopping Apple from just adding this as a feature on their highest Apple One Plan?

SOS is free if you buy an actual iridium phone. Well, I think so… but I can’t find any sources for that now that I am looking.

You can get them used for 700 usd

> SOS is only possible with a monthly plan

Is that allowed? In normal cell coverage areas, emergency calls are routed by law even without a SIM card.

Not sure, actually – I wouldn‘t be surprised if a helicopter would actually still appear if I‘d press the big red button on mine, but I haven‘t tried.

False alerts are probably a real concern. I had to provide two emergency contacts for the service I‘m using. The operators will call them before dispatching emergency services to catch accidental activations.

A big problem with stolen phones, is that the thieves are often kids, and use the 911 (999, in EU) feature to call in false emergency calls, as that is the only thing on a locked phone that works.

Really, phones are a bad bet, for stealing, these days; especially Apple kit.

In EU, the universal emergency number is 112, not 999. I think the later was UK specific once, but in the UK 112 will also work [0].

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/112_(emergency_telephone_numbe...

Yes, because satellite phones are not normal service. Both immersat and iridium connect 112 and 911 to their own operator who will then try to contact authorities where you tell them you are. I'm not surprised that this isn't available unless you're on a monthly plan.

> Both immersat and iridium connect 112 and 911 to their own operator

Not unless that’s changed recently. The last time I tried with Iridium (when in an actual emergency) calling 911 wasn’t supported in any capacity. I had to call someone else and have them relay my call.

Well, this article from 2014 says that all satellite providers support it through operator connection:

https://gtc.co.uk/blog/2014/02/19/how-to-call-emergency-numb...

> this article from 2014 says that all satellite providers support it

That link actually says only 2 of 4 supported 911/112 in 2014. It explicitly states:

> You will need to obtain the full international access code, country code, and phone number for the local fire, police, or ambulance depending upon the nature of the emergency and store it in your contacts.

for Thuraya and Globalstar (at least back then).

Either way, I said Iridium didn’t and apparently I was wrong (as my example was from 2016). Maybe I had a Globalstar phone that time? Iridium definitely didn’t in 2008 though.

Since the only reason most people have a satphone is for emergencies, what would pay for the service if emergency calls were free?

Having had a satphone it got used for quite a lot of stuff, never for an emergency.

With something like a Garmin inReach, the service is turned completely off if you're not subscribed, so even an SOS message wouldn't be transmitted through the satellite

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