The end of the In-Reach?

[MaxmimumMills4]

Today Apple released the iPhone 14. From the NYT-

“…. the iPhone 14, an introductory-priced phone that costs $800. The phone features last year’s processor, which reduces the costs of components for Apple. It also has improved front and rear cameras with larger sensors to capture clearer photos in low light.

It adds the capabilities of a satellite phone, giving people the ability to connect with emergency services in rural and remote environments so that they can get help if they are lost while hiking or find themselves in some other dire situation.“

I love my satellite communicator and prefer to use it on hikes where I don’t bring my phone. It will be interesting to see what happens as this technology rolls out. I hope it won’t lead to an overuse of emergency services but of course you always want people to ask for help when needed. Any thoughts? Are you ending your Garmin subscription any time soon?

[justiner]

iPhone is using GlobalStar so that's a big no from me, dawg.

I think it is an overall win and I do believe this will save lives.

[martinleroux]

For now it looks like iPhone satellite messaging is limited to communicating with SOS responders. It's not general-purpose two-way messaging, and you can't use it to send out periodic trackpoints. It's also limited to the US and Canada, and apparently it doesn't work well above 62°N. It looks like it'll appeal to people who would like to be able to send out an SOS in an emergency, but don't use satellite messaging enough to justify the cost of an InReach.

[IntrepidXJ]

iPhone is using GlobalStar so that's a big no from me, dawg.

I've been using a SPOT device since at least 2008 and send messages and tracks every weekend and all my messages have always gone through quickly.

[BillMiddlebrook]

It’s not clear to me whether or not Apple will also provide the non-emergency text communications that we currently have through In-Reach or Spot. If it’s only for contacting emergency services, then obviously it won’t replace the other devices. If Apple does end up offering all of the tracking and SOS services we currently get from those, expect the underlying service and connectivity to ultimately improve. Apple has money and lots of smart people.

I’m a strong believer in backup capabilities so I resist trying to get everything to my shinny smartphone even though it saves some weight. I still, always, Always carry a real GPS on hikes but often track on my phone. I doubt I’ll shed my personal locator any time soon.

TBD…

[BillMiddlebrook]

For now it looks like iPhone satellite messaging is limited to communicating with SOS responders. It's not general-purpose two-way messaging, and you can't use it to send out periodic trackpoints. It's also limited to the US and Canada, and apparently it doesn't work well above 62°N. It looks like it'll appeal to people who would like to be able to send out an SOS in an emergency, but don't use satellite messaging enough to justify the cost of an InReach.

+1

[justiner]

I've been using a SPOT device since at least 2008 and send messages and tracks every weekend and all my messages have always gone through quickly.

It was my experience that switching from a SPOT to an inReach was a good overall in getting satellite tracking to function properly. Perhaps news that Apple is to use 85% of the GlobalStar satellite network capacity will make things less bad (by investing in infrastructure).

[Jim Davies]

I use an Android phone that costs $200 and pay about $8/month for my phone service, each of which is about half what my Inreach Mini costs. I doubt if I'll ditch those and get an $800 phone instead...

[timisimaginary]

it's a big plus. there may be limitations in the beginning, but ultimately i imagine there will be improvements and upgrades that will put it on par or better what you can get on a standalone device, like they've done with carplay for example. SOS functionality may be basic to begin with, but i'll be curious to see how much they open up the satellite connectivity for other apps to use in the future. it's fun to imagine the possibilities.

i've got the inreach mini paired with my iphone, but who wants to use 2 separate devices if you can get the same functionality from a single one? plus being able to communicate by voice (as opposed to text), that alone is functionality that an inreach or spot can't replicate. and there are a lot of situations where communicating with SAR by voice would be much easier, quicker and safer than typing. how many of us stick the device in our pack which we might not even be able to get to in an accident, even if we know we shouldn't? now you can just yell out "Siri, Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!"

[BillMiddlebrook]

but who wants to use 2 separate devices if you can get the same functionality from a single one?

When it comes to emergency communications, me.
Always

[Bombay2Boulder]

There was a big emphasis on having clear skies during their presentation. This is a welcome technology for folks who only do the occasional recreation, but for actual reliability it will be a few iterations away to where it can be comparable to an inreach.

[timisimaginary]

but who wants to use 2 separate devices if you can get the same functionality from a single one?

When it comes to emergency communications, me.
Always

but how many satellite communicators are you using now? do you take 2 inreaches, or both an inreach and a spot? most people going out there don't even bring 1; 2 feels like overkill to me.
when i go somewhere with my inreach, i always have my phone too, but that's still only 1 satellite capable device. i don't even consider the phone a secondary emergency device, since cell service is so unreliable in most remote places.

if you feel like you need a backup it probably has more to do with lack of trust in the iphone's capabilities, battery life or ability to withstand damage. the last 2 can be mitigated; bring a fully charged power bank (which i would want for the garmin anyway) and put the phone in a protective case. time will tell with regard to capabilities. the initial versions of this thing aren't going to be functional enough to replace what a dedicated device can do, but it's a fair bet that eventually it will be.