When will InReach / Zoleo / Satelite phones be obsolete?

Murphy’s Law

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 15, 2020
Messages
252
Location
Bend, Oregon
Will modern day cell phones have satellite capabilities to meet the needs of the western hunter soon? From some quick google research I see that iPhone 14 and newer, and newer Android phones have the capability now... it seems it's just a matter of time before service providers such as Verizon have comparable and affordable options. What do you all think and know? Has there been any good articles out there on this?

I'm a new father and hunt typical of a western hunter about 15-30 days in the field so having an InReach or Zoleo does have its benefits. I don't currently have one but have been considering it. I'd really hate to drop hundreds of dollars and do the initial subscription plans just for 1-2 years from now have this technology readily available in your standard cell phone.
 
iPhone 14
 
I have no special insight into any of the major cell providers but my guess is within the next 3 years or so we will see some sort of option where satellite coverage to call or text is available, at a price of course. After that it probably won't be long until data coverage is also available, that day will be sad in many respects but will of course be another tool also.
 
I'm looking forward to the day when smartphones include satellite messaging and emergency distress, but hope Garmin and Zoleo etc. stick around so market competition keeps subscription prices reasonable.
 
Any one have any new updates on this? Are there cellular plans out there yet and has anyone had experience with the satellite capability on new phones?
 
Saw what I assume to be engineers looking at one of my favorite glassing knobs in NF to throw a cell tower on… super bummed me out. Where can we go to get away once we have cell towers all over the back country?
 
Coaches and secretaries all over the country will have a harder time taking vacations together when this happens.

In my 20’s while working for the Forest Service a request to track down a local outfitter and give a client a message came down the pike. Before you know it I was up on the hill at the high meadow the outfitter normally camps at and he was easy to find.

It turns out the message was about an assistant coach that died during preseason practice and the coach we were tracking down was on a fishing trip. Except the outfitter hadn’t seen him. lol

The coach and wife are probably dead by now so it’s safe to tell the story. It would do the secretary some good to know she wasn’t sneaky enough. I’m sure their kids know dad was a player. Lol
 
I've been bitching about what poor technology that cell towers are for a looong time. A new dawn has arrived!
Such poor tech there are 310 million smart phones in the US. Most folks dont realize ur phone is transmitting on 4 different frequency bands at the same time..
You will be able to text via Sat in 3ish yrs, but inreach will probably still be cheaper, beacuse you will still have to go thru a ....Data over Sat will need new tech both for band width and latency...Starlink Sats are 342 miles above earth. To get a good 5G signal you need to be less than 1/4 mile from a tower, small cell, or DAS system, 4G you can maybe stretch it to a mile if there isn't a lot of traffic hitting the tower.
 
Saw what I assume to be engineers looking at one of my favorite glassing knobs in NF to throw a cell tower on… super bummed me out. Where can we go to get away once we have cell towers all over the back country?
National Radio Quiet Zone is a good start, wilderness areas are another good choice.
 
Been personally trying out the satellite massaging free to iphone 14 and newer past few months and I think the time is now that inreach and zoleo drops off. The new technology isn’t perfect, but it’s pretty impressive and meets the need for me to just run a phone. I’m all in.
 
One thing I think about is having a second device in case the first one is lost or shits the bed. Having the ability to navigate and communicate is nice if you sit down with your back against a tree with your trekking poles in your lap, place your phone on top of the trekking poles, forget about the phone, then flick the poles into an upright position as you stand and launch your iphone off a cliff.

Not that I've done that.
 
One thing I think about is having a second device in case the first one is lost or shits the bed. Having the ability to navigate and communicate is nice if you sit down with your back against a tree with your trekking poles in your lap, place your phone on top of the trekking poles, forget about the phone, then flick the poles into an upright position as you stand and launch your iphone off a cliff.

Not that I've done that.
I'm basically on the same page as you. I like to have a PACE plan whenever I can. If Starlink turns every phone into a Sat messenger I would likely enroll.... but I'd also almost certainly still keep my Inreach as well. I also prefer my full size Inreach over an Inreach mini for the same reasons. It's nice to have a fully operational navigation device if my phone gets smashed and I can't use it. I also like being able to type full messages with the full size inreach without the use of my phone.
 
Was pulling some deer cams in an area without cell service this afternoon before the cold and snow hit me in a few days. Got back to my truck in the woods and could not find my car keys. I spent and hour plus looking for them inside of my truck and retraced my steps but struck out. This is a hunting spot I successfully sent texts by satellite from before so I figured I would text my wife to bring my spare set of keys but I could not connect to the satellite. At this point it’s dark and I kept moving and trying to hit the satellite for an hour but still had no luck. I finally walked down to the farmer’s house to use his phone but he was not home so I tried the satellite again with no connection. I then walked down the road to a neighbor’s house to use their phone. While going there I tried the satellite again with no luck.

I would not depend on iPhone satellite service if I was on a remote hunt.

But I did find my keys after humping back up to my truck while waiting for my wife. They were on my front driver’s side tire and I have no idea why as for 35 years I have always put them on my rear driver’s side tire.
 
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