Apple's Emergency SOS via Satellite Feature Saves Family Caught in Maui Wildfires
The iPhone 14's Emergency SOS via Satellite feature played an important role in the rescue of a family in Maui that became trapped by the wildfires spreading across the region.
Twitter user Michael Miraflor said that five people related to his brother's girlfriend were caught in a vehicle in Maui after the wildfires surrounded them. There was no cell service available at their location, so they used Emergency SOS to communicate with first responders.
Miraflor shared a screenshot of the entire Emergency SOS text chain, giving us a look at the local fire department and dispatchers in action. The family was located at the Outlets of Maui, a shopping mall in Lahaina where the fires are located.
In the text thread, the family's location is relayed to the dispatcher, and they're able to communicate that they are surrounded by fire with no visibility and no way out due to blocked roads. Within 30 minutes, fire crews were able to reach the family and safely evacuated them thanks to the Emergency SOS via Satellite feature.
The wildfires in Hawaii have been devastating, resulting in the deaths of at least 36 people. Strong winds have been driving the fires, and the town of Lahaina, where the family was trapped, was largely destroyed.
Apple's Emergency SOS via Satellite feature is available across all iPhone 14 models, and it has so far been responsible for saving multiple lives and getting people in remote locations help. Emergency SOS via Satellite is available in areas where there is no WiFi or no cellular connectivity, and so far, Apple has made it available as a free service.
Popular Stories
Earlier this year, YouTuber Jon Prosser shared multiple videos showing off what he claimed to be re-created renderings of what was then presumed to be called iOS 19 and which was eventually unveiled by Apple as iOS 26 at WWDC in June.
In his first video back in January, Prosser showed off a Camera app redesign with a simpler set of buttons for moving between photo and video modes, and he...
We may finally have a definitive list of all color options for the iPhone 17 series, ahead of the devices launching in September.
MacRumors concept
In a report for Macworld today, Filipe Espósito said he obtained an "internal document" that allegedly reveals all of the color options for the upcoming iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max models.
The report includes ...
Apple previously announced that a public beta of iOS 26 would be available in July, and now a more specific timeframe has surfaced.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said that Apple's public betas should be released on or around Wednesday, July 23. In other words, expect the public betas of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS 26, and more to be available at some point next week.
Apple will be releasing...
We have just under two months to go until the debut of Apple's iPhone 17 models, and rumors have been ramping up in recent weeks. We went through everything we know so far, pulling out the most exciting rumors and highlighting some other changes that aren't going to be so great.
Top Tier
Ultra Thin iPhone 17 Air - The iPhone 17 Air is 2025's most exciting iPhone rumor, because it's the...
Apple's long-rumored foldable iPhone will likely have a starting price between $1,800 and $2,000 in the U.S., analysts at investment banking firm UBS said this week. If so, the foldable iPhone would cost more than a MacBook Pro, which starts at $1,599.
With a starting price of at least $1,800, the foldable iPhone would be the most expensive iPhone model ever released, topping the Pro Max at...
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models.Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro ...
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models.
Latest Rumors
These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
