When COVID-19 hit, I dove into climbing, tenting, and backpacking since that was one factor you may do with out being round different folks. Now, being within the backcountry is one thing that I completely like to do, and I attempt to guarantee I do it not less than as soon as each couple of months.
One of many issues that permits me to really feel secure out there may be my Garmin inReach, Garmin’s tiny satellite tv for pc communicator that not solely lets me alert emergency companies if I discovered myself in a nasty state of affairs but additionally lets me textual content my household and mates to remain in contact.
Whereas the inReach has been a supply of consolation, it’s additionally include a price. Not solely is the inReach itself a whole lot of {dollars}, however the messaging, monitoring, and SOS options include a subscription of not less than $15 per thirty days relying on what number of messages, and so forth you’ll want to use.
Whereas I can message my household and mates, the person expertise can be not nice. It requires the Garmin Earthmate app which, whereas purposeful, is definitely previous and in want of an replace. I additionally generally run into points utilizing somebody’s telephone quantity and have as an alternative needed to resort to emailing folks to make sure our messages get to one another.
Enter iOS 18 and Messages by way of satellite tv for pc
I’ve been hoping that Apple would ultimately construct out its personal expertise that may render my inReach ineffective, and it seems that’s precisely what Apple is doing.
The corporate already launched Emergency SOS by way of satellite tv for pc some time in the past which lets you use your iPhone to message emergency companies if you end up with out a Wi-Fi or mobile connection. The function additionally tracks your location and pings your emergency contacts, all via a reference to a satellite tv for pc. It’s mainly the identical factor you get with Garmin’s SOS function.
Whereas that was nice, I nonetheless wanted the inReach to message my family and friends with the intention to keep in touch and allow them to know I wasn’t eaten by a bear. I’ve been ready for Apple to launch comparable messaging capabilities for the iPhone and, with iOS 18, it’s lastly right here. At WWDC 2024, the corporate introduced Messages by way of satellite tv for pc.
Not solely will the function allow you to message your loved ones and mates, however you’ll additionally be capable to do it straight via the Messages app via your present conversations relatively than via a separate app just like the Garmin Earthmate app. You’ll be capable to use some iMessage options like emoji and Tapbacks and, in fact, your entire iMessages can be end-to-end encrypted.
If the individual you’re messaging doesn’t use an iPhone, you’ll nonetheless be capable to ship messages over SMS. They only gained’t get these privateness protections or further options like iMessage has.
iOS 18 introduces Messages by way of satellite tv for pc for the instances when mobile and Wi-Fi connections aren’t out there. Powered by the identical groundbreaking expertise as present iPhone satellite tv for pc capabilities, Messages by way of satellite tv for pc robotically prompts customers to connect with their nearest satellite tv for pc proper from the Messages app to ship and obtain texts, emoji, and Tapbacks over iMessage and SMS.3 With Dynamic Island, customers at all times know when they’re linked to a satellite tv for pc. As a result of iMessage was constructed to guard person privateness, iMessages despatched by way of satellite tv for pc are end-to-end encrypted.
This messaging expertise is a big improve in contrast to what’s at the moment provided via Garmin. With each SOS and messaging options, I can’t see a cause to proceed to make use of the Garmin inReach anymore besides as redundancy in case my iPhone exploded. Being that I additionally solely go backpacking and tenting with mates who even have satellite tv for pc communicators, I don’t assume I’ll want the redundancy.
We’ll need to see what Apple expenses for Messages by way of satellite tv for pc. The corporate has but to cost for Emergency SOS by way of Satellite tv for pc nevertheless it appears to plan to, regardless that we don’t know what the worth can be simply but. With messaging on the horizon, nonetheless, I think about that pricing might lastly make itself identified.
Simply do not forget that, resulting from requiring the {hardware} to help the satellite tv for pc options, Messages by way of satellite tv for pc will solely be supported on the iPhone 14 or newer. So long as the service isn’t greater than $15 per thirty days (truly, I might in all probability tolerate a little bit greater than that as a result of higher function set), I believe I’ll be dumping my inReach and heading into the backcountry with simply my iPhone sooner or later. What a world!
