IOS 18: iPhone users can send texts via satellite when cell service is down.

[rcjordan]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/milton-hurricane-florida-iphone-satellite-messaging-ios18-no-cell-service/

[ergophobe]

Looking over how well this works... we finally opted for an inReach mini.

From reviews and such, the whole "iPhone will tell you where to point the phone" makes getting a message out in an actual emergency or getting simple status updates out on the fly somewhat cumbersome (and the inReach mini has more like a 3-week battery instead of a 12-hour battery).

Still... it was a hard choice since I think within a few years satellite connectivity will be common, especially if Verizon and AT&T stop trying to block it from being rolled in with Starlink or the Amazon network.