Emergency contacts and services will be notified if the user doesn’t respond within 10 seconds.
Apple has announced a new batch of iPhones under the 14 monicker. There’s also a new Apple Watch, along with the latest A16 Bionic chip, iOS 16, and watchOS 9 – but those aren’t the reason why you’re reading about mobile gadgets on a car-centric website.
Along with this new batch of Apple devices, the Cupertino-based company announced that the newest versions of the iPhone and Watch now come with car crash detection. This means that if the devices have detected that the user is in a severe car crash, they will automatically notify emergency contacts and services if the user doesn’t respond to the screen prompt within 10 seconds.
The new safety feature is available on the whole iPhone 14 range (iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max), as well as in the new Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE, and the all-new Apple Watch Ultra.
Crash Detection works by leveraging three capabilities of the devices. The barometer detects cabin pressure changes, while the GPS adds inputs on speed changes. The microphone, on the other hand, can recognize loud noises that are typical of car crashes.
Meanwhile, the more powerful gyroscope and accelerometer on Apple Watch – claimed to have the highest dynamic range accelerometer in any smartwatch – are also put into work.
To create the algorithm, data was collected from these new motion sensors at professional crash test labs with common passenger cars in simulated real-world accidents, including head-on, rear-end, side-impact, and rollovers.
In addition, Apple said that the “advanced Apple-designed motion algorithms trained with over a million hours of real-world driving and crash record data provide even better accuracy.”
When used in tandem, Apple said that the emergency notif will appear on the watch since it’s more likely to be in close proximity to the user, while the emergency call will be made through the phone.
The new Apple iPhone 14 range, along with Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE will be available for purchase starting September 16.
