To the user, this service is free.
But Apple has already sunk upwards of $450 million into it.
But let’s be honest, even many backcountry hikers won’t bother with such tech.
Apple
Whereas Apple’s version comes built into the iPhone, sitting there waiting until you need it.
This is way more helpfulafter all, an emergency is usually something you weren’t expecting.
An in-app wizard quizzes you to get the relevant details into a minimal message and shoots it off.
Apple
This can take up to 15 minutes.
you’re free to also share your location using the Find My app.
Once the message hits the satellite, it is forwarded to a ground station.
Apple
And this is where much of Apple’s half-billion dollars went.
Why Bother?
But Apple has a history of including relatively niche features in its devices.
The Apple Watchs fall-detection feature is one.
These are the kinds of features that only Apple seems to make.
Theyre almost like passion projects in that their cost and effort outweigh their utility to Apple.
Investing in infrastructure for features isnt so far off.
“Apple gets a ton of marketing from features like this.
It keeps them at the forefront of any kind of safety feature discussions, too,” says Dorrell.
Look at it another way.
This is exactly the reason people like Apple products.
