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mofa90277 t1_j6x9t6a wrote

Reply to comment by Zestyclose_Pickle511 in Samsung's S23s don't have an answer to Apple's Emergency SOS via Satellite by needlesfox

He (Julian Sands) is lost on Mt Baldy. Mountains have crags and gullies and crevices. Radio signals operate line-of-sight, so they’re built where they’ll cover as much (but not all) area as possible.

Apple’s satellite feature uses a constellation of satellites, which orbit the earth and create a mesh pattern, giving essentially 100% coverage.

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drunkendrake t1_j6y2ygb wrote

They are giving it for free for two years, after that you'll have to subscribe to it. Realistically, who will subscribe to it?

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needlesfox OP t1_j6ygbti wrote

I also wonder if Apple will keep doing that. Like if you go from an iPhone 14 to an iPhone 16, are you going to get another two years free?

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Jake0024 t1_j6z191n wrote

Most people don't keep phones longer than that.

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apathyduck t1_j6yg5qj wrote

It is not "essentially 100% coverage" - far from it.

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Jake0024 t1_j6z16pt wrote

Then he shouldn't be hiding in a cave while trying to make phone calls. Satellite SOS probably wouldn't work in there either. If he's dead and can't get out of the cave, neither feature is useful.

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joremero t1_j6zjlxw wrote

>Radio signals operate line-of-sight

wut???

did you learn that in facebook university?

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mofa90277 t1_j7013oo wrote

Physics degree, Caltech, then over thirty years designing airborne radars, including five years designing satellite radar & satellite communications networks (i.e., X- and Ku bands). At those wavelengths, signals transmitted by your phone (a critical part of all this) are not going more than 10-20-ish centimeters deep in the best conditions. So, from the perspective of mountains, RF signals are “line of sight” in that mountains are opaque to RF signals.

This is different from wireless signals getting through house or apartment walls, because they’re basically made of air. (And signals are aided by reflections from a myriad other surfaces around typical homes).

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joremero t1_j725hlf wrote

I see, so it was an oversimplification.

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freakasaurous t1_j7650gv wrote

Line of Sight propagation is an actual concept. No simplification of anything

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