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would be nice, but garmin inReach is very specific in their wording to make sure you know that if you don't have an active subscription, your SOS call will NOT work. Subscription is the standard now so doubt apple would do differently. I was genuinely surprised by the 2 years free though. Garmin inReach mini is a $350 device with 0 free function out of the box without the subscription

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I think it's more justifiable to require a prepaid subscription for a dedicated safety device. The difference with a phone is that you're much more likely to have it on you even when you haven't paid for the satellite feature. On the other hand, if you haven't paid your Garmin subscription, you wouldn't take your beacon with you. The iPhone would be great for situations that you don't anticipate such as a breakdown. It seems cruel not to help people in those types of situations just because of a small fee.

There are devices however that offer free satellite help signals. No data or anything, just press the button and it will send your coordinates to a (government funded) emergency dispatch who will automatically send rescue.

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