Apple May Expand Satellite Capabilities Beyond Emergency SOS; New Patent Hints at Video Streaming, Calling

Apple extended its Emergency SOS via satellite feature to iPhone users in France, Germany, Ireland and the UK recently.

Written by Manas Mitul, Edited by David Delima | Updated: 15 December 2022 14:49 IST

Apple May Expand Satellite Capabilities Beyond Emergency SOS; New Patent Hints at Video Streaming, Calling

Photo Credit: Apple

Apple's Emergency SOS via satellite feature in available in select countries

Highlights

Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite feature rolled out in November
The feature allows iPhone 14 users to contact emergency services
Apple’s new patent is titled “Communication Terminal”

Apple revealed its new satellite-based emergency SOS feature during the September launch of the iPhone 14 series and made it available on its latest phones in the US and Canada in November. Since then, the Emergency SOS via satellite feature has already helped people in distress, according to news reports. A new patent acquired by Apple on Tuesday suggests the company could offer even more satellite-powered features in the future. According to a report, the patent goes “far beyond” emergency SOS service and the satellite feature could extend to video streaming, telephone calls, and more.

According to a Patently Apple report, the tech giant's new patent hints at future services related to satellite communication, including streaming, calling and television data. Apple acquired the new patent, titled "Communication Terminal," from the US Patent and Trademark Office on December 13.

“Satellite communications data conveyed by transceivers #28 and antenna radiators #30 may include media data (e.g., streaming video, television data, satellite radio data, etc.), voice data (e.g., telephone voice data), internet data, and/or any other desired data,” the report quoted the patent as saying. The report also said that the patent lists some of the inventors who worked on Apple's Emergency SOS via satellite feature.

iPhone 14 Users in France, Germany, Ireland, UK Get Apple's New Safety Feature

The Cupertino, California-based tech giant's satellite technology was recently enabled on iPhone 14 models in the UK, Germany, France, and Ireland. The service is already active in the US and Canada.

iPhone 14 SOS Emergency Feature Uses Qualcomm Component: Report

The feature, in its current state, is only text-based and allows users to contact emergency services in the absence of cellular and Wi-Fi network in case of emergency situations. The service also lets users share their location via satellite through the Find My app on their iPhones. The Emergency SOS via satellite feature is free for the first two years. Just this month, the satellite SOS feature on iPhone 14 came to the rescue of a man stranded in Alaska.

Apple launched the iPad Pro (2022) and the iPad (2022) alongside the new Apple TV this week. We discuss the company's latest products, along with our review of the iPhone 14 Pro on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Further reading: Apple, Emergency SOS via satellite, iPhone, satellite communication, Apple patent

Manas Mitul

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In his time as a journalist, Manas Mitul has written on a wide spectrum of beats including politics, culture and sports. He enjoys reading, walking around in museums and rewatching films. Talk to Manas about football and tennis, but maybe don’t bring up his video game backlog. More