Apple’s Roadside Assistance via Satellite feature for iPhone now includes the Verizon Roadside Assistance program, the company has confirmed this week
Apple first added its satellite safety capability to the iPhone 14 with Emergency SOS, which lets users communicate with emergency services via satellites when they don't have cell service. In September, the company unveiled its brand new iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, and added the aforementioned Roadside Assistance feature, which leverages the same satellites to connect you to a breakdown service should you need it. The first company Apple partnered with was AAA, and now Verizon Roadside Assistance customers can also get in on the act. Apple confirmed the change in a support document, first spotted by MacRumors.
The Verizon Roadside Assistance subscription is $4.99 per line per month. According to Verizon’s website, it includes the following as part of the service:
- Towing up to 10 miles in a coverage area
- Tire change
- Battery jump-start and car lockout service
- Fuel delivery
- With Apple's Roadside Assistance via satellite, also get assistance when you are in a non-coverage area.
AAA, on the other hand, offers a ‘Basic’ plan with fuel delivery, flat tire service, towing, and more for around $6-$7 a month, a ‘Plus’ plan with passport photos, and better versions of the basic services for around $10-$11 a month, and a ‘Premier’ plan with all of the above, plus home lockout service, a rental car with tow, and more for around $12-$14 a month.
Better assistance — iMore’s take
For a service like this, one that is an emergency, iPhone users only ever benefit from more available options. For Apple to offer the best roadside assistance to its customers, it needs to let customers access it through their own unique plans and subscriptions, and adding Verizon as a partner is a great sign for the future of the service.
Up until now, anyone who was already on a Verizon plan and lost all connection would have to wait to get it back or for a stranger to pass by and help. This is ineffective and loses out on one of the great features of the best iPhones. Hopefully, we’ll see more roadside assistance plans come to the service in the future.
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