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tucked away in Apple’s iPhone 17 press releases was a bonus for off-grid owners of older models. The company gave iPhone 14 and 15 owners free access to satellite features for another year. This is Apple’s third extension as Emergency SOS via satellite launched with the iPhone 14.
“The free trial will be extended for iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 users who have activated their device in a country that supports Apple’s satellite features prior to 12AM PT on September 9, 2025,” the company’s copy reads. An Apple support page lists Armenia, Belarus, China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Russia as unsupported countries.
Apple’s off-grid feature set began in 2022 with Emergency SOS via satellite.
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