Apple's brand new iPhone 14 lineup has a special feature that detects when you've been in a car crash and calls emergency services. The problem is, how do you test that feature to make sure it works?
You wait for a YouTuber to do it. That's what TechRax did, using a row of scrap cars and an unmanned vehicle to crash into them. The result? Well, that would be spoiling things, wouldn't it?
OK so we've probably already spoilt it, but the good news is that iPhone 14 crash detection does indeed work. In this case, an iPhone 14 Pro was strapped to a car that was crashed into a row of other vehicles. As expected, and after a short delay, the iPhone began the process of calling emergency services and playing a loud siren to alert at the same time.
Those running the test obviously canceled the emergency call before it was placed, but this video is proof positive that the feature does indeed work as advertised.
Apple says that crash detection kicks in when "your iPhone detects a severe car crash," going on to say that "it will display an alert and will automatically initiate an emergency phone call after 20 seconds unless you cancel." That's borne out by this YouTube video, too.
While the new iPhones come with a number of new features, particular the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, there's an argument that crash detection is the best iPhone feature of all. It's difficult to argue with a feature that has the potential to see lives, to be sure.
Crash detection is supported by the new iPhones as well as the Apple Watch Series 8 and refreshed Apple Watch SE, not to mention the Apple Watch Ultra.
