Walinske4 wrote:
The Apple reps disagreed on these three features being available on satellite-only and the Verizon rep wasn't sure of the signal stability of a satellite connection.
The "issue" I have (which is minor per se) is that the Apple reps (retail store near me) and Verizon rep (ibid) are itchy about their answers and so I was hoping to connect with someone who owns the watch and has lived a real-life experience with the sat-network features.
That satellite emergency feature is something that most people will never use in their lifetime, and if so maybe once.
It utilizes low-Earth satellites that move quickly in and out of view. You can see this if you use the demo in the links provided or when setting up and iPhone with this feature. At times there are not enough low Earth satellites or they are low in the sky or their signals are too weak. At some times the connections are robust. Text messages and location of your device are shared, but note the warning by Apple that if the paired iPhone is nearby in airplane mode, some of the features won't work with the watch.
The reason those reps don't have much information is that the feature is so rarely used, and also the signal strength and availability of a communications link is quite variable. So there are no guarantees, but if you have enough time, a link will become available, subject to blockage and unusual terrain. The terrain or blockage by buildings may also affect reception from GPS, which I'm turn affects location determination.
I wouldn't worry about this too much. Set up the device and know how to use it if you have to use it. It provides instructions when you try to activate it. These satellite emergency features were recently used by skiers caught in an avalanche in Europe and in California (U.S.) by lost hikers and some individuals who were in an automobile accident in mountainous terrain.
