New iPhone Feature for Hikers

[ldsailor]

Looks like Apple is aiming to put InReach and Spot out of business. Nice feature. I may for the first time consider an iPhone and give up my love affair with Android.

"Beginning in November, all the iPhone 14 models will be able to send SOS messages via a new satellite feature — a safety measure intended to let users request help when in remote areas without a wireless connection."

Full article here (https://apnews.com/article/inflation-covid-technology-health-smartphones-6731164e1c59eea0eb9ded939c6650df).

[rhjanes]

And we just upgraded from IPHONE 7's to 13's......
I'm seriously thinking to not buy Apple next time. My IPHONE 13 was 16 days old and stopped wired charging. I spent half a day dealing with it. First at a Apple Certified place. He was super. Verified it would not charge thru the charging port, looked at it for damage. Told me take it back to AT&T store. I did that and they agreed it would wireless charge, but not thru the port. They tried to swap it out but the closest "AT&T Company Store" that had a replacement (I got the 256 storage) was about a 1 hour drive away. The AT&T guy said "The Apple store is closer". My first time there. WOW, what miss management. I sat on these "Box chairs" they ordered from a Pediatrician Office Supply for an hour and 40 minutes to talk to someone at "The Genius Bar" (I had to ask them to explain things to me in English because I don't speak 20'something Hipster). While sitting on the boxes with 25 other people, I counted as many as 12 (12!!) "Apple" people standing around laughing, helping no one! Even how they find you to help you is "Say WHAT?". I had gone to ask someone who looked in charge, where was I on the list. She did some 'Preliminary check in' and told me to just keep hanging out. I was sitting on a box and a Apple guy walked up to the young lady (White) on one side of me in a white shirt and said "HI! BRANDON!!! I'm LaSpike and...". SHE held up her hand and said "Do I LOOK like a Brandon?". Meanwhile the Black man with a white shirt on next to me was raising his hand and pointing to himself. He looked over at me with a look of "What morons". So FINALLY it's my turn. They confirm "It's broke, taking it to the back". I had the packing material, my receipt from just over 2 weeks ago and was saying "Please, lets just swap it out". NOPE! They have to "Send it off" and he said while the ticket says no charge, USUALLY a physical break like this, would NOT be covered as it would be considered "Abuse". I'm totally beat down and again tell the guy that I've had IPHONES for over 10 years and NEVER broke one. And that one was less than 3 weeks old, I'd not even made a payment! It's now day 9 (one day was Labor day) and no word. Oh, they did give me an IPHONE 10xR. I sat at the "Genius Bar" for another hour letting it update and transfer all my stuff over. I give that guy and then a girl who relieved him high marks, they worked their backside off. Juggling about 6 of us at once doing technical stuff.
I'm about 95 percent sure, my next smart phone will be a Samsung.

[gpburdelljr]

It looks like it will be able to send an emergency SOS text, but it doesn’t sound like it has all the capabilities of an InReach, or Spot.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213426

[ldsailor]

And we just upgraded from IPHONE 7's to 13's......
I'm seriously thinking to not buy Apple next time. My IPHONE 13 was 16 days old and stopped wired charging. I spent half a day dealing with it. First at a Apple Certified place. He was super. Verified it would not charge thru the charging port, looked at it for damage. Told me take it back to AT&T store. I did that and they agreed it would wireless charge, but not thru the port. They tried to swap it ...

I'm about 95 percent sure, my next smart phone will be a Samsung.

Wow! Talk about taking a shotgun to my thoughts about switching to an iPhone. My old Samsung is looking much better. Here's another possibility. T-Mobile is going to use Starlink satellites for communications. It will be text first then later possibly voice. Article here (https://techcrunch.com/2022/08/25/t-mobile-phones-will-connect-to-starlink-for-free-starting-next-year/). A lot of good things may be happening for back country hikers in the communications arena.

[Traveler]

Conversely, I have had an iPhone since the second year they were available with periodic upgrades as iPhone capability and networks improved. Never had a problem with any of them. I have dropped them, had them fall into water, spilled any number of hot and cold foods on them, and didn't have a problem. The one advantage some androids seem to have over iPhones is the camera technology, however I need the phone not a camera. Much like an auto repair shop, an appointment with the Genius Bar typically reduces the wait time to a few minutes as opposed to walking in for repair service on a busy day.

Satellite technology is probably going to take a few years to iron out in the consumer cellular market but it does sound promising for emergency use in wilderness areas.

[rhjanes]

Conversely, I have had an iPhone since the second year they were available with periodic upgrades as iPhone capability and networks improved. Never had a problem with any of them. I have dropped them, had them fall into water, spilled any number of hot and cold foods on them, and didn't have a problem. The one advantage some androids seem to have over iPhones is the camera technology, however I need the phone not a camera. Much like an auto repair shop, an appointment with the Genius Bar typically reduces the wait time to a few minutes as opposed to walking in for repair service on a busy day.

Satellite technology is probably going to take a few years to iron out in the consumer cellular market but it does sound promising for emergency use in wilderness areas.

Traveler, we've also had IPHONES for decades. Wife and I have never broke any. I always have mine in an Otter Box Defender. I've kept it dry by putting it in a ziplock bag when hiking, orienteering and backpacking if rain was around. I've fallen down in rainy forest after tripping over a ruined bit of barbed wire, watching the phone fly out of my pocket hit a rock and land in a foot of soaking wet leaves. I've gotten dust and dirt in it from hiking in the heat. I've just blown out the dust. And I also never broke any of the phones. I explained all that to the people at the Apple store. They just look at you and point out "But THIS will most likely be declared that it was abused".

yes an appointment would have allowed me to show up 15 minutes before my time and reduced the wait. I was there at 2 PM on a Tuesday. It was still busy. but when you have half the staff standing about NOT helping people while 25+ people are sitting on very uncomfortable boxes....
Cell phones are becoming throw away objects.
I have now heard from Apple, They declared it abused. For $450 they are replacing it. So there went the value of the IPHONE 7 I traded in.
I've got a Garmin Mini for GPS tracking for my family.
There are also several things about the way Apple phones work, that are issues for wife and I. I mentioned them to my tech buddy who uses Androids and he just smiled and showed me how Samsung/Androids do the same function.
If history repeats, I won't be cell phone shopping for 5 or more years. So I'll see what is around in 5 years and maybe the MINI won't be needed then.

[Sailing_Faith]

I love my iPhone…. Just jumped to the 13Pro max last year…. Wish I had waited.

[One Half]

I had one of the first iphones for YEARS. Then they decided they were no longer going to support it with software updates and functions stopped working randomly. At that point I decided I wasn't going down the apple road again and now use an android phone. was also a good time to switch carriers as well.

[rickb]

I am only a sample of one, but my experience with the Apple Store has been good. Mostly asking “dumb” questions to one of the sales people, or making an appointment with the Genius Bar to clean lint out of the charging port kind of stuff.

In July my years old iPhone 7 did not properly charge up (no warranty) and I was told that the failure was for a known issue, so no charge to repair — but since they had a brand new (in original packaging) one on hand, they would swap mine out on the spot.

I probably got lucky, but I am thinking of getting “Apple Care+” with the 14. Since it covers virtually anything (so they say) I figure there is not even a point in an ugly case for drop protection — might even go for loss/theft replacement even though I tend to self insure. Probably doesn’t make financial sense, but I would be less paranoid about where I put it down.

Anyway, it should be fun, as I am a bit of a Luddite. Just began using iCloud — which I cannot believe I dismissed for so long (I am sure there are non-Apple options).

[rhjanes]

I self clean the microphone ports and the charging port. Charging port, I just hit with a can of the compressed air for dusting electronics. For the tiny microphone ports, my hiking tweezers to tug out anything large and then that can of compressed air.
My second time to the Apple store, went well. But I was "On the list". But even the, Friday mid afternoon, there was only half the people in the store and it seemed the employees were there to assist in anyway they could. It wasn't that way on my first visit.
So my Iphone 13 is now functioning fine. I did go with a wireless charger, one that will work thru my Otter box Defender. So in 5 years, maybe I'll switch to Android.

[gpburdelljr]

On November 15th the iPhone 14 satellite SOS became active. There is a demo mode in Settings- Emergency SOS- Try Demo.

[Fallesafe]

I used Android phones for about 15 years . And I was recently talked into getting an iPhone (about a month and a half ago). So I got the latest one with the biggest screen. And it’s SOOO unbelievably awful… I totally regret it. It’s a complete piece of junk, and I really miss my old phone… Do yourself a favor and get an inReach to take along with your real phone.😆 The iPhone is such a glitchy, unfinished product. It feels sometimes like I’m beta-testing a new product in development.

[gpburdelljr]

I have had zero problems with my iPhone 14 Pro.

[Sailing_Faith]

My iPhone 13pro max is amazing. The only other phone I would even consider is a 14.

With the $194 spot messenger subscription due for renewal, it is a great time ro
make the jump.

[rhjanes]

I used Android phones for about 15 years . And I was recently talked into getting an iPhone (about a month and a half ago). So I got the latest one with the biggest screen. And it’s SOOO unbelievably awful… I totally regret it. It’s a complete piece of junk, and I really miss my old phone… Do yourself a favor and get an inReach to take along with your real phone. The iPhone is such a glitchy, unfinished product. It feels sometimes like I’m beta-testing a new product in development.
My general comment about all Apple products is that Apple does things "Different"......often just to be different. A buddy and I have compared how you do a function on an Android versus a IPHONE and its just......different.
My sister(RIP) and brother in law(RIP) were big Apple user's. I got my sisters Mac computer and it was a decent learning curve to get used to it so I could look for data. However our daughter is in the arts and switches from Apple to Microsoft, effortlessly.
"Glitchy".....with our last two IPHONES (the ancient 7 and the new 13's), no real bugs/glitches.
I'm wondering if you transferred over your data from your Android to your IPHONE? How did that go?