Apple added fall detection for the Apple Watch a couple of years ago which enabled users to inform family members and medical services that they had taken a tumble and push out an SOS call or message. Now, using its expertise in harvesting data from the myriad of sensors on the Apple Watch and iPhone, Apple is working on a "crash detection" feature that will inform emergency services that you have been in a car crash. According to the Wall Street Journal, this feature could be launched in 2022.
Many automakers like GM's OnStar, FCA's UConnect, or Subaru's Starlink already provide such functionality but this could be democratised with its presence in the iPhone itself. Apple could tie this feature up with its IronHeart project which strives to bring more core vehicle functions via CarPlay and make it a full-stack interface for the car itself than just a car more like a phone beaming mechanism.
Interestingly, the Apple Watch software chief became the boss of the Apple Car project recently
Apple will harness data from sensors like the accelerometer and gyroscope on the iPhone and Apple Watch to detect the g-forces of the impact and on the basis of that, it automatically will dial emergency services. Apple has been working on this feature for a while and has been tuning the system from anonymous iPhones and Apple Watches.
It has detected more than 10 million suspected vehicle impacts out of which 50,000 indeed result in calls to 911. Already, on the Apple Watch, the fall detection system has saved many lives from near-fatal accidents.
Once added to the iPhone, the preventive technology will be available to millions of people instead of the handful of connected cars which admittedly are getting more and more pervasive day by day. Likely, this could be a major part of iOS 16 and watchOS 9.
