Overview
- Apple confirmed in a footnote to its iPhone 18 Pro press release on Sept. 9 that existing iPhone 14, iPhone 15, and iPhone 16 users who activated their devices in supported countries before midnight Pacific Time on Sept. 9 will get one more year of free satellite access.
- The covered features include Emergency SOS via satellite, Messages via satellite, Find My via satellite, and Roadside Assistance via satellite and they rely on Globalstar to carry low‑bandwidth messages when cellular or Wi‑Fi are unavailable.
- Apple tucked the extension into the product press release rather than announcing it on stage, highlighting a low‑profile communications approach to the change.
- The company has not disclosed any pricing or a timetable for ending free access, so some users could face future fees or feel pressure to buy newer devices to retain emergency satellite coverage.
- This is at least the third consecutive one‑year extension since the feature debuted with the iPhone 14 in 2022, reflecting repeated delays in Apple’s decision to monetize the limited satellite services.