Emergency communications

Yep , it's called Capitalism. My iPhone 8 won't work either , if that makes you feel better.

Cheers
Jim

It’s called keeping up with the latest technology.

It’s a feature that will be very handy, and hopefully not having to use it.

A sat-capable iphone will be part of our comms suite in future, in addition to Starlink & a PLB (given that our Thuraya satsleeve is no longer any good). I believe the sat capability of the iphone is improving. Only a matter of time before Andoid phones have the same capability I reckon.

Carrying a phone when bushwalking away from the truck provides a lightweight camera, as well as emergency comms, with the backup of the plb.

So was a Thuraya Sat Sleeve for iPhone users Rod. They weren’t compatible with I
Phone.

Macca.

Not sure what you mean Macca. Our Thuraya Satsleeve worked well with our iphone until the Thuraya satellite failed. It was compatible with other non Apple phones too.

The latest iPhones (iPhone 14 onwards )have their own limited (text message/emergency position) satellite capability. As I understand it the intention is for them to develop voice capability too, but unclear how soon that might happen.

Not sure what satellites they use.

https://www.apple.com/au/newsroom/2023/05/emergency-sos-via-satellite-available-in-australia-new-zealand/

Globalstar Sats Cuppa.


Regards

TrevorDavid

Hi Cuppa,

My apologies, I was told a few years back that the Sat Sleeve was not compatible with Apple iPhone. That is why I ended up buying a Satellite Phone instead. Maybe it was because my iPhone at the time was an early model.

Macca.

Hi Macca, I'm not sure when the satsleeve became compatible with iPhones. There may have once been a physical 'fitting' issue for Satsleeves which attached to the phone itself in the early days of Satsleeves (?), but our one was (is) a Satsleeve Hotspot which doesnt actually attach to the phone. We bought it to replace a Thuraya XT-Lite satphone. Huge improvement. It meant being able to use a normal phone with which we had familiarity, & with all the benefits of a touch screen phone, & we could sit in the shade or walk around, whilst the 'Satsleeve' provided a 30m diameter 'wifi'. Shame it is no more ''twas a good thing.

I've read that elsewhere, but I also read that it's improved the the iphone 15 models. It's new technology for a 'normal' phone, so early days yet.

I wouldn't rely on it as our only emergency comms, but as I need a new phone anyway, & because we will have wifi calling via Starlink at the vehicle, plus will still carry an epirb it seems like a positive step forward to me.

Cuppa beware, My iPhone has been totally unreliable in the heat up north.

Battery failure and charging can be a problem in the heat.

Hi North 200,
Do you think that is an iPhone 14 specific issue?
Our current ‘old' Iphone XS had no problems like that up there.
We bought it in Cairns (in early 2020 I think) & used it for several years in FNQ & the Cape.

Never had a problem with my old iPhone 6 but the new phone has caused me a lot of grief. Charging on a hot day can cause the phone to shut down.

The battery died after 12 months and the phone was replaced under warranty, but the new replacement phone still has the same problems.

Hi Candace

This link explains it fully.

How the new system works

You set up your details and those who you want to be informed.

Works only all iPhone 14 and newer.

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Thanks for that link Stephen. But hmm, it does take a bit of fiddling and then you have to maintain your aim to the satellite while you manage a series of text messages. Even then, you are communicating with Apple, not AMSA. Well, if it goes like my usual communications with Apple…. good luck with that.
And all this fuss is going on while I am trying to manage a medical emergency and need professional advice fast by voice contact and in something of a panic. And I do not see mention of a GPS function to advise of my location.

I was becoming dismayed by Telstra's monthly fee of $45 for my satphone and sought an alternative. But I could find none which will provide an effective service for an emergency… for me that is.
So I reviewed it objectively and identified that Telstra's $45 is the same as a decent bottle of wine per month (or 2 half-decent ones) and it would perhaps be a good idea to cut down on my alcohol intake anyway, so I am staying with my satphone which provides enormous benefit over other forms of communication, including my PLB.

It is an interesting observation that we may be prepared to pay maybe $100 per month to insure our vehicle but balk at $45 per month to insure our life.

Stephen,

Whilst your post is 100 percent correct, it is not actually what Jim’s original post was about. Maurice B posted a link in his reply regarding the Apple WWDC announcement just a few days ago.

If the Apple announcement does filter down to Aus, you could actually text anyone pretty much, including the National Relay Service for emergency services. You would not need to go via there SOS. For example someone with a Zoleo can do it now.

NRS Link




Regards

TrevorDavid

Allan B --

"It is an interesting observation that we may be prepared to pay maybe $100 per month to insure our vehicle but balk at $45 per month to insure our life."

I think that was aimed at me. Going by today's exchange rate, AU$45 equates to US$30. If my monthly Iridium sat phone bill were that, I'd have no complaints.

Instead, it is US$76.17. That's AU$114.40.

The last time I needed the phone was after a vehicle breakdown in 2017. And then I couldn't connect very well from where I was because of the mountainous terrain. (I caught a ride to town and arranged everything while on the grid.)

For contrast, my AT&T PrePaid plan for my 5G smart phone (that I use all day, every day) costs US$40.07 per month. Plus, the plan cost hasn't gone up due to inflation in recent years, unlike my sat phone.

(Breakdown of my sat phone bill: $65 for the "legacy" 10-minute service plan; $8.95 for the convenience of a standard US number for incoming calls; and $2.99 "Universal Service Fund" charge.)

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Hi Candace,

Yikes… AU$114.40 ?? That is the cost of a REALLY DECENT. bottle of wine. I feel your pain. It surprises me that the US rates are higher than Australian.

I just checked on the Telstra current Plan rate for a satellite phone. It is actually $55 per month. My $45 fee is as a result of having a Telstra Business account incorporating a number of connections and services with resultant economy. (Just one of the reasons my family call me "Lucky Al". lol)

Nonetheless, new emergency communication devices regularly appear on the market and I live in hope that one of these may eventually satisfy my criterion whereupon I will dump the satphone.
All I desire is for my iPhone to be able to make satellite-connected voice calls into the network, even if it entails a high call rate. I currently squirm at paying high Plan fees for a service that I almost never use.
I'm sure that this service could be technically provided by Telstra right now. It's just that the likely number of potential subscribers is minuscule by Telstra's market paradigms.

Comparing costs, I pay AUD 144 per month for my Iridium (converted from GBP). It used to be about AUD 50 per month for the first 15 years or so, but has gone up recently (a lot). If the iPhone solution reaches a point where coverage is global I'll stop paying the Iridium subscription.

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Blimey, $114, $144….. I had better stop complaining about my $45.

Allan,

Satellite phones are a niche product in the US, since the mobile phone networks covers nearly all of the country (in terms of population and geography). The biggest customers are government agencies. I only know one other person who owns a satellite phone.

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Yes Candace, you of all people would be aware of Australia's vast unpopulated areas that cannot justify a cellular phone network.