When will InReach / Zoleo / Satelite phones be obsolete?

[cwpepper]

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.

 

[_S_R_]

iPhone 14

Use Emergency SOS via satellite on your iPhone 14

With iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models, you can use Emergency SOS via satellite to text emergency services when you're out of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. You can also use the Find My app to share your location with people via satellite.

support.apple.com

 

[carter33]

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.

 

[Holocene]

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.

 

[cwpepper]

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?

 

[riversidejeep]

My buddy Elon announced the other day that he launched the first of a series of satellite's for phone coverage. The time is near, I believe he partnered with T-Mobile.

 

[bard]

Starlink - Direct to Cell

Seamless access to text, voice, and data for LTE phones across the globe

direct.starlink.com

Here is the skinny. I like getting away from it all for 14 days other than my inreach texts but being able to ditch the inreach will be nice in the future.

 

[riversidejeep]

I've been bitching about what poor technology that cell towers are for a looong time. A new dawn has arrived!

 

[87TT]

Oh yeah, an Iphone 14 is so much cheaper that an Inreach!

 

[Hnthrdr]

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?

 

[TaperPin]

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

 

[cwpepper]

Any new news on this subject?

 

[FAAFO]

I’m testing out one now, one of the main reasons why I joined the forum. I can’t get into specifics but hopefully after Nov I can give a comparison to the Inreach I carry too

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Apple announced satellite comm texting - no more in reach???

Apple announced some cool news today about satellite texting coming soon to iPhones. Should be interesting, could be a big game changer. "With iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15, or iPhone 15 Pro, you can use Emergency SOS via satellite to text emergency services when you're off the grid with...

rokslide.com

 

[Sccritterkiller]

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.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

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.

 

[cwpepper]

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.

 

[Hoodie]

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.

 

[Corey0372]

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.

 

[Hoodie]

Yup. Two is one, one is none, and three's a crowd.