iPhone 14 & 14 Plus: Officially satellite-based Emergency SOS

Apple has revealed the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus, maintaining much of the iPhone 13’s design — including a notch for the mobile’s selfie camera and Face ID sensors.

That’s in line with gossip that only 14 Pro models would lose the crack. Either way, at first glance, the 14 looks an awful lot like the 13, with the same flat display and rails.

The US prototypes of the iPhone 14 also do away with the bodily SIM tray, driving all-in on eSIM. The standard iPhone 14 model begins at $799, and the 14 Plus initiates at $899.

The iPhone 14 will also support the much-rumored emergency messaging thru communication satellites when you’re out of the spectrum of a cell signal called Emergency SOS. The phone’s antennas can link to satellite frequencies. Apple says it can endure less than 15 seconds to transmit a message with a clear vista of the sky.

The interface steers users to point their phones in the right direction and walk through stages to connect with emergency service providers. Using the Find My app to share locations without sending a message is also possible. It’s free for two years for iPhone 14 models.

The iPhone 14 sticks with a 6.1-inch screen, while the 14 Plus offers a big 6.7-inch screen. In addition, the 14 Plus model claims to provide the best battery life of any iPhone. Both models persist in delivering last year’s A15 Bionic chipset — a momentous shift for Apple. It has typically introduced a new processor used by its entire iPhone portfolio each year.

On the camera front, there’s an ultrawide and a new 12-megapixel primary camera with f/1.5 aperture and sensor-based stabilization. Apple claims a 49 percent gain in low-light image quality and states that Night Mode is double as fast now. There’s also a new 12-megapixel TrueDepth camera with autofocus near the front.

Security is critical to all of us to protect information on our gadgets. Apple has done important things to safeguard your information, like Touch ID. Face ID employs the TrueDepth camera and machine learning for a secure authentication solution. In addition, face ID data—including mathematical expressions of your face—is encrypted and protected with a key functional only to the Secure Enclave.

The probability that a random individual in the population could peek at your iPhone or iPad Pro and open it using Face ID is smaller than 1 in 1,000,000 with a single enrolled appearance, whether or not you’re sporting a mask. Face ID allows only five unsuccessful match shots as additional protection before a passcode is needed.

The statistical probability is higher—and further increased if using Face ID with a mask—for twins and siblings that glance like you and children under 13 because their distinct facial features might not fully develop. If you’re concerned about this, it is suggested to use a passcode to authenticate. You can also employ Face ID without enabling Face ID with a mask.

Face ID battles against depth information, which isn’t discovered in print or 2D digital photographs. It’s conceived to protect against spoofing by masks or other techniques through sophisticated anti-spoofing neural networks. Face ID is even attention-aware; Face ID with a cover will always ensure attention. Face ID identifies if your eyes are open and your attention is headed towards the device. It makes it more challenging for someone to unlock your device without your knowledge (such as when you sleep).

Apple says it also applies its Deep Fusion image processing earlier in the image pipeline, improving low light performance and color rendering, calling this technology “Photonic Engine.” Video recording also fetches a new stabilization mode called Action Mode that employs the whole sensor for gimbal-esque steadiness.

The iPhone 14’s debut arrives at a unique moment: inflation is driving the cost of everything up — consumer tech enclosed — and household budgets are pulled thin. Google has ventured a public shaming campaign calling Apple to adopt its open standard for messaging.

Despite its struggles to sell one over the past couple of years, the company has to face the fact that people in the US don’t want a tiny iPhone. It all boils down to an unusual amount of pressure as Apple stages its annual iPhone unveiling from its gleaming Silicon Valley campus.