If you have an iPhone 14 and are involved in a severe car accident, your phone will automatically call emergency services.
A message will appear on your phone screen saying emergency services are being called if you don’t respond within 10 seconds.
If you have a connected Apple Watch Series 8, the call interface will appear on the watch as it’s likely to be easier to reach than your phone.
The call will still be placed through the phone, if in range, to ensure the best possible connection.
The new-generation smartphone range comes with a high dynamic range gyroscope and a dual-core accelerometer capable of detecting G-force measurements of up to 256G.
Apple says it has trained motion algorithms with over a million hours of real-world driving. It also used data collected from motion sensors at professional crash test labs, where cars were put through head-on, rear-end, side-impact and rollover collisions.
It also uses your phone’s barometer, the GPS to detect speed changes, and the microphone to recognise the loud noises typical of a collision.
Emergency services receive your device location, which is also shared with your emergency contacts.
The tech giant has also introduced a new Emergency SOS via satellite function, should you require help somewhere without reception.
It’ll be available to users in the US and Canada in November, and will be free for two years, though Apple hasn’t confirmed whether it’ll be supported here.
This function loads a few questions to assess your situation and tell you where to point your phone, with a team of Apple-trained specialists calling for help on your behalf.
You can also share your location manually over satellite with the Find My function when you have no mobile or wi-fi connection.
