Apple iPhone 14 and Watch Series 8 feature automobile collision detection

Apple has turned smartwatches and iPhones into car safety devices.

On Wednesday, during an event to unveil the iPhone 14, Apple announced the automotive collision detection capabilities of the Apple Watch Series 8, the new Watch SE with WatchOS 9, and the iPhone 14 with iOS 16. These data are used for machine learning to detect the occurrence of car crashes.

Apple has also incorporated collision detection into the iPhone. the iPhone works in conjunction with the Apple Watch sensors, but will detect car accidents on its own, with or without the Apple Watch. Hardware changes to the iPhone 14 to enable collision detection include a high-resolution gyroscope and a dual-core accelerometer.

Apple says it has studied frontal, side, rear, and rollover crashes for years to develop collision detection. The new feature is designed to detect collisions in passenger cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks.

To allay privacy concerns, Apple noted that all data is stored locally in the hardware and is only processed before and after a collision.

According to Apple, the Watch Series 8 is priced at $399 for the GPS model and $499 for the cellular model. The new Watch SE is $249 for the GPS model and $299 for the cellular model. Both will be available for order starting Wednesday, ahead of the September 16 launch.

The iPhone 14, which will be released at the same time as the Watch Series 8, is priced at $799 and will be available for pre-order on Friday ahead of the September 16 launch. The larger Plus model will be priced at $899 and pre-orders will open on Friday, but those seeking a larger screen will have to wait