I have a spare iPhone 12 that was originally purchased at the Apple Store in Japan. (had to buy one when I misplaced my own iPhone during a trip there)
Because I haven't had landline phone service at my house in over 10 years, I could only dial 911 using my iPhones. My local landline phone company's absolute cheapest plan is still $45 for a landline with zero features... that's why I stopped the service all those years ago.
Never had to do this until early morning on Friday(really early, just before 4AM) I came downstairs to get some water and noticed something from the kitchen window. My next-next-door neighbor's motion sensing floodlights came on and I saw someone(could have been two person) running out from the gate of their vinyl fence. They probably saw me because my kitchen light was on.
My regular phones were all upstairs, so I went to the closet next to the kitchen to grab the spare iPhone. Powered it on and dialed 911. It wouldn't go through. I dialed 110(the equivalent of 911 in Japan) and that also didnt' work. Then I dialed 112. Nothing worked. I ran up stairs and called 911 on my regular iPhone.. then I called the neighbor to tell them. Turned out to be nothing... the two "criminals" that I saw were the neighbor's daughter and her boyfriend trying to sneak into the house.
Early this morning, I called my local police's non-emergency number and asked the officer about making a test call to the local 911. He said it was alright and waited on the line while I tried. Same thing happened... the iPhone 12 from Japan would not allow any calls to 911. I then plugged in a deactivated SIM from many years ago. After that, 911 calls went through just fine. I told the 911 operator that I was making a test call with the police's permission. I thanked him and hung up.
So... is this how foreign iPhones are supposed to treat 911 calls? I know US iPhones(or any other smartphone) can dial 911 without SIM cards(even deactivated ones).
Any ideas?
Because I haven't had landline phone service at my house in over 10 years, I could only dial 911 using my iPhones. My local landline phone company's absolute cheapest plan is still $45 for a landline with zero features... that's why I stopped the service all those years ago.
Never had to do this until early morning on Friday(really early, just before 4AM) I came downstairs to get some water and noticed something from the kitchen window. My next-next-door neighbor's motion sensing floodlights came on and I saw someone(could have been two person) running out from the gate of their vinyl fence. They probably saw me because my kitchen light was on.
My regular phones were all upstairs, so I went to the closet next to the kitchen to grab the spare iPhone. Powered it on and dialed 911. It wouldn't go through. I dialed 110(the equivalent of 911 in Japan) and that also didnt' work. Then I dialed 112. Nothing worked. I ran up stairs and called 911 on my regular iPhone.. then I called the neighbor to tell them. Turned out to be nothing... the two "criminals" that I saw were the neighbor's daughter and her boyfriend trying to sneak into the house.
Early this morning, I called my local police's non-emergency number and asked the officer about making a test call to the local 911. He said it was alright and waited on the line while I tried. Same thing happened... the iPhone 12 from Japan would not allow any calls to 911. I then plugged in a deactivated SIM from many years ago. After that, 911 calls went through just fine. I told the 911 operator that I was making a test call with the police's permission. I thanked him and hung up.
So... is this how foreign iPhones are supposed to treat 911 calls? I know US iPhones(or any other smartphone) can dial 911 without SIM cards(even deactivated ones).
Any ideas?
