Cell phones getting satellite capability

[hwhayes]

It appears that cell phones will soon have satellite connectivity beginning with the iPhone:
https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/apples ... or-safety/
Other manufacturers will be following soon.
It seems to me this feature will be very helpful for those boaters who do not wish to purchase a dedicated satellite phone.
The iPhone options are limited but seems worthwhile as an additional safety measure.

 

[scross]

I’ve owned and carry a ACR ResQLink+ PLB for about 8 years now. Not going to ditch it. Will supplement it with an iPhone 14 on my next phone upgrade. Good to have redundant safety/communication systems in an emergency.

 

[gregc]

According to T-Mobile’s press release, satellite connectivity will allow you to send text messages (including SMS and MMS) and access “select messaging apps”. The company also hopes to add voice and data connectivity in the future. That said, developers of WhatsApp and similar services will have to optimize their apps to ensure that they work with the network.

In a tweet following the launch event, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk revealed that Starlink V2 satellites will reach 2 to 4 Mb/s per cell zone. That’s enough for texting and perhaps voice calls, but not much else. Remember, this bandwidth will have to be shared by all users in the cell zone.

Probably a problem in places like Puget Sound or the ICW, but should be better for blue water emergency communication?

 

[HookedUp]

I've carried a PLB and a Garmin inReach for years. The inReach allows me to send pre-written messages, a limited number of regular text messages and SOS. I really like the ability to let the Admiral know if I'm going to be late, or if there is some minor problem. Hope never to use the SOS function, but if I do she'll get that too.

I couldn't tell from the announcement just how much you can really do via satellite other than SOS. I do pay monthly for the inReach service and I might consider dropping it if the iPhone offers similar capability. I did notice that it's only free for 2 years, so i suspect it will cost something later on.