Can Apple’s New iPhone 14 Replace Your Garmin inReach?

I don’t use an inreach, but I’m struggling to find many reasons using the iPhone it isn’t better than my RescueME PLB as long as my iphone is charged / not broken. No battery concerns is one advantage a PLB has but the texting component of the iPhone is also better than simply sending an SOS with a non text compatible PLB.

As a European we rarely use PLBs in the first place and thus I find the added feature of the iPhone really compelling.

It basically means I do have added security on my Alpine endeavors without getting another gadget/device to keep track off.

Will probably hold off for now though, since I am hoping the iPhone 15 will finally come with USB-C…

The incidence rate of satellite device SOS messages sent where the subjects could/do self rescue will also be dependent on the cell phone coverage in the area and the ability to reach 911.   My general observation is that the number of satellite SOS calls made by people who self rescue have increased this year.

As has been said, our preference is still to be notified of a situation before it becomes more serious.  What is potentially more of an issue is when people self rescue and do not update the responding SAR team with that information.  As the technology becomes more available to users who aren’t as backcountry savvy, it would be helpful to include instructional messages to users who activate an SOS type message.

Apple invested $450,000,000 to make satellite Emergency SOS and Find My (SOS/FM) work, most of that going to Globalstar upgrades. I’m sure Globalstar appreciated the investment, since in my opinion their existing devices and services have sucked for a long time.

Apple: “The ground stations use new high-power antennas designed and manufactured specifically for Apple by Cobham Satcom in Concord, California.”

“To increase reliability and coverage, these new antennas were installed in all Globalstar worldwide ground stations, including new ground stations in Nevada and Hawaii, as well as existing facilities in Texas, Alaska, Florida, and Puerto Rico.”

Globastar SPOT-X one-way messaging doesn’t cover Hawaii now, maybe an Apple exclusive.

Looks like Apple plans to roll out SOS/FM for most of the rest of the world. But Globalstar’s “bent pipe” system has limits.

Apple probably invested $450M for services far beyond SOS/FM. iPhone 14’s should be able to use those new features. Maybe iOS security updates via satellite :-)

Apple: “iPhone users can launch their Find My app and share their location via satellite when there is no cellular and Wi-Fi connection.”

Work out a simple Find My code with home contacts: Three FM pings per day (breakfast, lunch, dinner) from planned on-route locations means everything is OK. If ping locations are significantly slower, faster, or different than expected, plans have changed. Three from the same location means something’s wrong, but it’s not an emergency. And so on. Wonder how much battery energy each satellite FM ping will take?

inReach messages sometimes take a while to go through, but it’s mostly “send and forget.” Apple’s service requires waving your phone around until it locks onto a satellite. Room for improvement.

— Rex

I didn’t realize Globalstar was based out of Covington, Louisiana.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/07/satellite-company-globalstar-stock-soars-after-disclosing-apple-deal.html

One real-world test of Apple’s iPhone 14 satellite “Find My” feature:

https://tidbits.com/2022/11/21/testing-emergency-sos-and-find-my-via-satellite/

In brief, disappointing on many levels.

Seems most reviewers are not lightweight backpackers, and can’t imagine scenarios that might include us.

— Rex

Anyone know of good location apps that send a bread crumb trail? Just thinking it could be useful for the family members of dayhikers/runners to follow along without requiring much user initiation. Send updates when in cell coverage to occasionally show progress. For people that might find it hard to justify a satellite message device but want to provide some info to those at home.

The CalTopo app will do this on your phone, but I don’t know the specifics of what this is like to setup for an individual.  We use this on our SAR team and it is extremely useful to get realtime updates when in service or two way updates when we are in an out.

Someone just got saved from between Noorvik (66°50′) and Kotzebue (66°54′) Alaska so despite the caution I’ve seen in some write-ups that coverage is best south of 62N and potentially spotty beyond, someone was successful.

Of course, on the northwestern shore of Alaska, there are never any trees or hills in your way.

Chris: IPhone 14’s have a provision to use the “Find My” function with satellites so you could let your contacts know where you are periodically.  You’re limited to a few such locates per hour, so it’s not continuous breadcrumbs and you have to hold your phone in the position indicated on the screen for 15-30 seconds (and longer in marginal settings) to complete the transmission, which would be a downside for competitive runners / bikers.  But for backpacking, doing so at breakfast, lunch and dinner would give people back home a lot of info.

Sending a few “Find My” locations would be great practice, without bothering SAR, and build confidence (or find weaknesses) in transmitting from your area/terrain/tree cover.

This is why the InReach has it all over the phone.    I send back tracking every 10 minutes to an hour, depending on the hike or bike ride. It does it without my interaction with it, unlike the phone.   If I don’t report in that day, whoever I have asked to track me, can check my location on the web. No movement, and the device is still sending tracking points, they know I am incapacitated and exactly where I am.  Not instant notification, but better than next week.  Cardiac arrest, no help.  Head injury or multiple trauma from a fall, the InReach gives me a chance. And the battery lasts for days and days.