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Comment by fckgw | Hacker News Reader

How? Push out an OTA update that installs an entirely new cellular modem with satellite communication frequencies?

Most smartphones have GPS built in, are you telling me it was impossible to utilize existing hardware for this feature? Or was it a deliberate decision.

Ok, perhaps not phone calls or text. What about a beacon feature?

How? I don’t think you quite understand how this works or GPS for that matter.

GPS is unidirectional. Your phone isn’t communicating back to the satellite.

admittedly I don't, but can't a GPS system can tell you where you are, why can't GPS systems know where each phone is and create an emergency system from that ?

GPS is receive only, the phone doesn't talk to the satellites, which just broadcast their signal to everyone. There is certainly a new radio (& ancillary equipment & antenna) in the latest model to support this feature.

Any phone can still use Maps based on GPS, meaning any phone can send their location via GPS. Why not make an emergency beacon feature with this ?

No, that's not what it means. The phone knows its location because it can receive the GPS signals. There is no 'sending' involved at all, GPS is receive-only. To 'beacon' something it needs a transmit radio. Traditionally this is the cellular network, but it appears Apple has added a new satellite radio to their phones to augment this.

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