With the iPhone 14, Apple introduced several nice-to-have features to the iPhone. These include the much-expected satellite communication support as well as car crash detection. Testing crash detection didn’t quite happen in many iPhone release day reviews for obvious reasons, but post-launch reviews have seen the iPhone strenuously tested for both its durability prowess and the new crash detection support.
Car crash detection is also available on the Apple Watch Series 8. It kicks into gear when your device detects a solid stop. Once that happens, the iPhone (or Watch), will dial emergency services automatically after a short delay unless the driver is physically able to cancel the call. While Apple’s marketing is one thing, you can now see how this happens with TechRax’s video on YouTube below.
“The entire iPhone 14 lineup introduces groundbreaking safety capabilities that can provide emergency assistance when it matters most. With a new dual-core accelerometer capable of detecting G-force measurements of up to 256Gs and a new high dynamic range gyroscope, Crash Detection on iPhone can now detect a severe car crash and automatically dial emergency services when a user is unconscious or unable to reach their iPhone,” Apple said. The company also says that crash detection works best with an Apple Watch and an iPhone paired together. Affected users can dismiss the crash detection prompt from the Watch, while the call is placed from the phone if needed.
Apple isn’t the only phone brand to offer car crash detection. Google’s Pixel line has supported crash detection since the Pixel 4’s first feature drop. The company later expanded its availability to even more countries than the limited few it launched with a few months ago. Google is also thought to be expanding its availability away from Pixel to other Android phones in a future release of its personal safety app. It’s a feature that most people will hope they never have to use, but one that would come in handy if it is needed.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.
Apple's next cheaper iPhone could get a brand-new processor while keeping its most stubborn display compromise. Digital Chat Station tips the iPhone 18e for a 2027 release with a 2nm A20 chip and a 6.12-inch OLED screen still limited to 60Hz.
The rumored camera setup includes a single 48MP rear camera and a possible 24MP selfie camera. There's new hardware to consider, but buyers hoping Apple would extend that upgrade generosity to smoother scrolling could be disappointed.