Apple wants iPhone to detect car crashes

The Wall Street Journal reported that Apple is developing a new feature for the iPhone and its smartwatch that will detect if you've been in a car accident and automatically call 911, and the current plan is to roll out such a feature next year.

This feature uses iPhone and smartwatch sensors such as the accelerometer to detect car accidents when they occur partially by measuring the sudden rise in the force of gravity upon impact.

Google's personal safety app on Pixel phones includes a feature to call for help when it detects car accidents.

This matches what is offered by connected car services in modern vehicles, including GM's OnStar, Subaru's Starlink, and Fiat Chrysler's Uconnect.

Many of the cars in existence today are not equipped with any connectivity features. As a result, having collision detection with iPhone also means more drivers can get the help they need in an accident.

The increasing insecure use of smartphones in cars has given way to integration systems such as CarPlay and Android Auto.

CarPlay was featured in nearly 80 percent of new cars in 2020, according to Apple.

And creating a new accident-detection feature on the iPhone along with CarPlay could boost the company's IronHeart project to link its phone to car settings in the same way HomeKit controls smart speakers and lights.

It is important for the company to target the $2 billion annual revenue stream that GM brings with OnStar through built-in features.

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The company has had several years of collecting data and analytics on willing iOS and watchOS users.

The report claims that the company has been testing the feature for the past year by collecting data. that were shared anonymously by iPhone and smartwatch users.

The devices appear to have detected more than 10 million suspected vehicle collisions. Of those, more than 50,000 included a 911 call.

The company uses 911 contact data to improve the accuracy of its collision detection algorithm. An emergency call linked to a suspected impact gives her more confidence that it's a car accident.

As with any feature in the test, the report warns that the company may choose not to release it.

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