Apple plans to bring a life-saving Google Pixel feature to the iPhone and the Apple Watch
According to documents analyzed by The Wall Street Journal, Apple is planning to bring the Google Pixel’s car crash detection feature to the iPhone and the Apple Watch in 2022. On the Pixels, when the phone detects a car crash, it asks the user if they need help, and calls the emergency services if the user doesn’t respond within 60 seconds. Pixels have had crash detection for a while now and the feature has even saved a life. Apple’s implementation of the crash detection feature would use the motion-sensing technology present in the iPhone and the Apple Watch to detect an impact.
The documents reviewed by The WSJ dubbed the feature as “crash detection”. Crash detection would work similarly to fall detection on the Apple Watch. It would use the accelerometer of the device to measure extreme changes in the g-force. An algorithm would then decide if the measurement corresponded to a car crash and would call the emergency services if needed.
The Journal’s report also claims that Apple has been testing the feature by using data from anonymous iPhone and Apple Watch users. According to the report, Apple devices have detected 10 million vehicle impacts of which 50,000 resulted in a 911 call. Apple is using this user data to tweak its crash detection algorithm.
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