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Comment by rcarr | Hacker News Reader

Literally just had to leave a comment on this blog post after reading because he talks about how he's going to start leaving his Garmin InReach Mini at home because he can now use the satellite feature on his iPhone when he's out hiking in the Scottish mountains. As far as I'm aware, the satellite functionality is currently strictly for the US and Canadian markets only. I get that it's a big deal and a great technological achievement they want to brag about but I hope they are making it abundantly clear in other countries that this functionality is not available. If they're glossing over it, they're going to end up with a lot of people going into potentially dangerous situations with a false sense of security like this guy with potentially tragic consequences.

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Another good reason not to give up the Garmin just yet is having two-way communication on your emergency beacon too. It's not really confirmed or known what Apple is offering here and if there will be any way to communicate with rescuers if you have to initiate a rescue.

With Garmin devices you can text both ways and it has been shown in many rescues to be a huge advantage at getting the right search and rescue or other team to you faster--they can find out what the situation is and if they need to skip right to a helicopter rescue for example. If I were an avid hiker I wouldn't ditch the Garmin just yet (but hopefully in a year or two we'll see if Apple and others try to compete in the satellite rescue beacon world and offer comparable features).

In Apple's video it sounds like there's 2-way communication: https://youtu.be/V35jHAkpUIk (at about 1:20 in the video)

It's two way but predefined messages only. This way apple Apple has a map of messages to some minimal bit value and saves on bandwidth. Garmin InReach allows for predefined messaging too and custom as a pay per message option, it can take 10 minutes or more to send a custom InReach message. Also, InReach uses iridium satellite network which has true global coverage whilst Apple is using Globalstar, which doesn't.

The more I read about the new functionality the more it seems you not only send predefined messages to start the conversation with emergency services but you can send arbitrary text as well.

Inreach is awesome for general communication, coordination for non-emergency where there is no cell reception. I've used it at ski resorts and national parks to meet up with people.

Don't forget you'll likely have your iPhone out a lot when taking photos etc, which means it's at greater risk of being lost or damaged or the battery running out, rendering the satellite features useless. Having a Garmin in your pocket that you never take out has its advantages therefore.

Or let’s talk about just how about the Garmin is actually a rugged device and usually clipped directly to an individuals clothes/pack. I can’t imagine iPhone is as durable and that typical protective case can be or will be attached to the individual hiking.

There are still situations I think sos on iPhone 14 does make sense. Like driving in middle of nowhere without signal and having car troubles.

I would also though agree people may get this false sense of safety, but I’m sure having something is better than nothing and having 2 options is better then 1 and maybe someone else hiking may find an someone who needs emergency help and doesn’t have inreach and able to help. The iPhone isn’t useless as sos device, but I will know I’ll be counting on my inreach on my adventures as my emergency beacon even if I did have iPhone 14.

It’s not active yet, the speculation is roughly November. Knowing Apple they will be VERY clear about this when the time comes. Since you have to sign up for service (free for the first two years) that would be a good time to make you go through the limitations.

Wait, do you need a subscription to send SOS messages? If that's true, it's an awful idea and is obviously going to result in tons of awful PR.

> he can now use the satellite feature on his iPhone when he's out hiking in the Scottish mountains

He does not say this. He explicitly says he did carry his garmin when in Scotland. From the article:

> (for the last week in Scotland, we’ve not had cell service), so I have a Garmin inReach MINI I carry with me

The author's point was that he travels a lot in the US and abroad, and that he will keep his Garmin but use it less and pause his subscription more often.

This is a blog post about the iPhone being reflected upon whilst in Scotland, which makes it a good read. If it were an advertorial, I see how you could jump this critique on it. But it's not.

The author stated: > Now, with the release of Emergency SOS via satellite on iPhone 14 Pro, I don’t plan to carry the inReach nearly as often, and I’ll pause the subscription to save the monthly fee, with the added benefit of weight savings in my pack. Keep in mind, the Garmin has its advantages with super long battery life and an extremely durable build made to withstand the rigors of multi-day expeditions, so I think it’s worth keeping around. But probably the most exciting aspect of satellite connectivity being built into iPhone 14 Pro is that loved ones like my wife, Esther, will have it with them all the time. It’ll be ready for them to use whether they’ve planned for it or not.

The author has also replied to my comment saying he wasn't aware that the satellite service was North America and Canada only and that he will make sure to take his Garmin on international trips. My critique was not aimed at the author, but at the marketing materials which need to hammer this point home, even for North American residents such as this author. Based on this evidence, I think it was a pretty justified comment.

Is this some kind of sponsored review / special review copy? If so doesn’t Apple provide a “kit” with this kind of information?

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