We may be seeing the outlines of a new messaging strategy at Apple: Its devices are the ones you want when things go wrong.
When Apple held its annual launch event for the iPhone 13 in 2021, it started with a joyful video featuring jazz dancers celebrating the natural beauty of California (which can be captured with an iPhone camera, of course).
The tone of Apple’s iPhone 14 launch this week was darker. After zooming in on Apple’s headquarters from space, it kicked off with a video highlighting users who wrote letters to Apple CEO Tim Cook saying that they almost died — but were saved by their Apple Watch calling 911.
„Dear Apple: My dad was flying our small plane to Vermont. I was asleep in the back seat. I woke up when we were crashing into the tops of the trees. The plane broke into six pieces and we were miles away from civilization in the freezing cold. Then, all of a sudden, my Apple Watch started ringing,“ said one character named Hannah.
Other characters in the short video told stories of falling into a frozen stream, getting trapped inside a trash compactor, and witnessing a cardiac episode in a restaurant.
Saving lives in emergency situations was the major theme of Apple’s launch this year, and many of the most notable new features the company announced were oriented around safety.
The most significant new iPhone capability this year is called „Emergency SOS via satellite,“ which can send a message for help even if there’s no cell service around for miles. Users can also share their location with family or friends in the Find My app.
Apple’s example of how the feature works showed a hiker with a broken leg on top of a mountain ridge calling for a helicopter.
