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Any satellite text messaging experiences available iPhone iOS 18/USA /Canada : inReach device???

Volker
23 days ago

I am not talking about the Apple SOS via satellite rather about the sending a text message via Apple satellite messaging (I think only available with iOS 18.1 in the USA and Canada at the moment). Becaue of the Apple satellite catching dance one has to celebrate for sending a message, I am also curious, hth you will get knoladge that someone has answered on your satellite message, if you are still out of reach for cell/wifi? I think you have to do the dance again to know/ckeck this... Europe will get this probably only at some point next year, so I can´t test it on my own. What I have read so far, not really competition for Garmin in real life (at the moment), "sounds only good on the paper" but...(perhaps it is great for a Sunday afternoon nice weather walk and you like really dancing...). But I hope a Mini 2 user here has also an Apple iPhone with 18.1 and can share his first hand experiences/informations how the IPhone compete against an iR device for messaging...(apart from battery consumption, robustness etc.).

Ok, it is for free (at the moment), but I think not really an iR "killer"...as said before (without having tested in on my own): sounds (only) good on the paper, but in real (outdoor) life? I can imagine it as a backup for my iR device for SOS and messaging (as long as it doesn't cost anything), but probably not as a replacement...

  • 0 23 days ago

    There’s been a good discussion on it on several YouTube videos. Apparently you need to aim and track a satellite, then send a message. Also a situation can arise where you have only one cell signal bar, not enough to make a cell call, but enough to lock out satellite messages, so now you can’t do either. The iPhone antenna is apparently small, the battery is not as long lasting and touch screens don’t work well wet, so not good for kayaking. You can imagine floating in rough water holding your kayak and trying to send a satellite help message, not very functional. Tripping and falling on a trail and breaking a leg or an arm, then having to aim and track. iPhone lovers will argue that it works fine though, perhaps in optimal conditions. I’d like to know how well it works in the rain in a thick forest. Lots of online sites arguing it will be a Garmin killer, but not in its current state in my opinion, it seems a bit flawed. There is also no online information that I’ve seen about cost after the free period. I find my iPhone difficult to see in direct sunlight as well. Currently I’m sticking with my ACR plb and my inreach device. 67i or mini2. It must cost Apple a fortune to pay for all that free satellite service, maybe that’s why it’s only available in North America.

  • 0 22 days ago in reply to Snow_Leopard

    Yeah, I have already watched some videos/reviews about Apple satellite text messaging. I wouldn´t rely on an iPhone (I have an iPhone 14 with iOS 18.1) on a longer hike etc. (battery, durability, readability...), except as an backup for my iR device (if it comes to Europe at some point next year).Ok, if you have no iR device etc: to have an iPhone with satellite SOS and satellite text messaging is better as nothing...

    I'm curious to see what prices Apple will charge for satellite SOS and messages after feeding the masses for free.

  • 0 22 days ago in reply to Volker

    I’m interested too, surely the reason it’s only available in North America currently has got to be a cost issue, and not a technical one. Unless there is a possible security issue with some countries that they need to lock out of it.

  • 0 18 days ago in reply to Snow_Leopard

    I have also seen some of the videos on that subject.

    I have no idea what all goes wrong there with engineering. There is absolutely no need to point something to the satellite to get communication. Globalstar sats are used for tracking and messaging since they exist. 

    I do not understand how can a fractal antenna build into a smartphone have some reasonable directivity.  In fact the tracker devices operating via Globalstar are small flat boxes, with no special antenna, you can carry them in your pocket and they work, even the frequency is less reliable then the 1.6Ghz Iridium works on.

    I can only assume, that the phones use for this kind of communication more power then allowed for phone devices and thus users are forced to keep the device away from head, e.g. holding it in hands. There are similar precautions with some satphones as well.

    The globalstar is in fact not really global, as it still needs the client, and the ground station to be within the footprint of the satellite.

  • 0 18 days ago in reply to Snow_Leopard
    Snow_Leopard said:
    It must cost Apple a fortune to pay for all that free satellite service,

    they will charge one day for it sure, but currently they can not, as they are not able to provide any reliable services. The satellites need to be replaced, the ground infrastructure too, and when they want offer some kind of emergency calling, they need to build up suitable infrastructure for that too. Unless this is complete, they can not ask for money and deliver something which may or may not work. 

  • 0 16 days ago in reply to skyeye

    My iPhone is an older model. It’s been plagued by bugs for awhile now and I don’t plan on upgrading anytime soon because Apple never seems to fix things, they just add more emoji’s for the kids, rather than dealing with functional issues that matter.