Apple launched its Emergency SOS via Satellite feature with the launch of the iPhone 14, and we’re already seeing it save lives. This weekend, three Brigham Young University students were left stranded while exploring the canyons of the San Rafael Swell Recreation area in Utah and used the feature to call for help.
According to KUTV, the students became stranded in deep water during their time canyoneering and were unable to get out for several hours resulting in hypothermic shock to begin setting in. Due to the rural area they were in, the group wasn’t able to call for help using regular cellular data. Luckily, Stephen Watts, one of the students, had an iPhone 14 and was able to use the Emergency SOS via Satellite feature to text authorities and share their location with them.
One of the other students, Jeremy Mumford, explained to KUTV that “the canyon was about 500 feet deep of sheer, rock walls but about every 20 minutes a satellite would line up where we were in the canyon and, by holding the phone up, we could get a signal where we could text 911 to Emery County.” With the help of the iPhone 14, the trio was able to be rescued soon after, likely saving their lives.
While they had responsibly told an emergency contact to call for help if the contact hadn’t heard from them by 9 p.m., the three students had been trapped for several hours in freezing water by the time they were rescued, so it’s possible that their emergency contact would have been too late and that their lives could have been at serious risk were it not for the help of the iPhone.
The students’ story and the many more that will likely surface as the Emergency SOS via Satellite feature gets into more hands serves as a great reminder that staying current with your technology can sometimes make all the difference when it comes to emergency situations. Emergency SOS via Satellite is still relatively limited in its reach since it’s exclusive to the iPhone 14 line, but as more people begin adopting the iPhone 14 and later models as they release, it seems like it may become a safety feature that we’ll wonder how we ever got by without.
Are you tired of paying for streaming services you never watch just to get a phone plan feature you actually want? T-Mobile has good news for you! The carrier is rolling out new plans, called T-Mix, in early November to replace its old Experience lineup with a build-your-own perks system called Picks.
The benefits you choose vary from streaming and gaming to food delivery, AI, satellite service, and phone discounts. But if you are satisfied with your existing plan, you can keep it.
Merely days after the iPhone Duo hit the shelves, images of broken screens on the phone started popping up across social media. Until now, it’s been unclear what’s causing the line of defective pixels that appears vertically along the crease, as well as horizontally, on the phone’s inner display.
Apple has finally acknowledged the issue, which has shown up on iPhone Duo units owned by customers as well as demo units in stores. In a statement shared with Bloomberg, Apple says that not all iPhone Duo units are affected and that those that are tend to show the display fault early on. The company added that users who experience problems with their iPhone Duo display should contact AppleCare for a replacement.
Not long ago, Apple treated independent repair like an act of outright hostility. The Cupertino giant locked down parts with serial-number pairing, while repair tools remained firmly out of reach of anyone outside its authorized repair network. More importantly, the company waged a legal and lobbying battle against right-to-repair legislation.
I've covered enough of these fights over the years to know what a shift looks like. That's why what happened in October 2026 genuinely caught me off guard. The day the iPhone Duo went on sale, what may be the most mechanically complex iPhone to date, Apple pulled off a surprising about-face. It published teardown-style repair manuals for a handful of major components.