T-Satellite

billconner · Tuesday at 9:26 AM

Seems the cell phone may replace the Garmins, Spots, Zoleos, Etc.

Is T-Mobile’s New Satellite Messaging Service the End of the Dedicated Satellite Messenger?

The cellular provider’s Starlink-assisted “T-Satellite” is the most fully-featured satellite service yet.

www.backpacker.com

I like the idea of sending photos.

Erica · Tuesday at 10:06 AM

billconner said:
Seems the cell phone may replace the Garmins, Spots, Zoleos, Etc.

Is T-Mobile’s New Satellite Messaging Service the End of the Dedicated Satellite Messenger?

The cellular provider’s Starlink-assisted “T-Satellite” is the most fully-featured satellite service yet.

www.backpacker.com

I like the idea of sending photos.

Technology is changing so fast.

In the comments section it is pointed out that if the phone is being used for a variety of other tasks, it is more likely to be lost than a dedicated sat device kept in a secure location.

Also, the batteries on a cell phone are going to be exhausted more frequently.

Punkinhead · Tuesday at 10:22 AM

What I like about a cell phone is it's always with me so I don't have to remember to pack it. I camp, hike, canoe, dirt bike, ATV, etc. All things where some type of satellite communication in an emergency would be helpful. My gear for those various hobbies is stored in different places. With a waterproof, satellite capable phone I wouldn't have to remember to get it from wherever it was stored after the last trip. And now I have a single device to communicate, take pictures, look up information, navigate, entertain myself at camp, and have emergency communications capability that I won't forget because it's always with me. It's true that battery usage could be an issue but the number one battery killer is the screen and I don't look at mine very often so the battery lasts for days. In fact, during most of these activities my phone is powered off. Plus there are lots of portable recharging options.

Tryin' · Tuesday at 10:39 AM

Once a phone manufacturer includes a dedicated no-screen-function-required SOS button, they would probably get my dollars. The current requirement of a functional screen precludes my purchase. Of all the things to break, that big piece of glass is high on the scale.

Edit: No, pressing the power button five times in a row and then a confirming press doesn't count. Dedicated button, dedicated status LED.

dramey · Tuesday at 1:07 PM

I don’t know if T-Mobile services Alaska. AT&T is the big one in Alaska, with limited Verison.

tketcham · Tuesday at 2:12 PM

Erica said:
Also, the batteries on a cell phone are going to be exhausted more frequently.

That's the number one reason I will continue to bring a Garmin inReach device. Plus, it's far more durable and reliable than my "smart" phone. I do like the satellite capability of my phone when I'm traveling through or car camping in areas without coverage.

Marten · Tuesday at 3:40 PM

Cost in the future will put a lid on how many will be using their phones. My Garmin subscription is still $12 so not much their for me. Quality of coverage above 60 degrees will.be an issue for a while. Will be looking for reviews of its use out in the bush this year.

billconner · Tuesday at 7:14 PM

It's early in terms of this technology but the single device is appealing. My cell phone battery lasts a week or longer so no different, plus all I used my spot now zoleo for is texting my wife, so still need cell phone.

MJones · 2026-01-14T09:01:52-0500

billconner said:
It's early in terms of this technology but the single device is appealing.

For me, the single device is not appealing, I don't want all my eggs in one basket.

To me, there are many benefits of a Garmin over a cell phone, such as it is a much more ruggedly built device. And the Garmin is always in my pfd, I don't have to go looking for it.

Gamma1214 · 2026-01-14T09:37:51-0500

I, too, like the extra durability, and the inReach can operate as a stand-alone without the phone (though I don't think that's the case with the mini models). It's along for emergencies and so my family can track me, not so I can chat but I certainly don't need interweb connectivity when I'm in the field... getting away from all of that is a huge reason why I go. In fact, wifi access in the woods might be enough to make me leave the cell phone at home.

Pseudonym · 2026-01-14T11:42:20-0500

During a trip, my phone last several days in airplane mode (even though I take a lot of pictures and videos) in large part because it's not constantly communicating with cell towers in the background, updated push notifications, etc. If you want to "track" your route actively using GPS, my suspicion is that the phone battery might deplete much more quickly than a dedicated GPS unit. Maybe I'm wrong.

PortageW/Cerberus · 2026-01-14T12:52:19-0500

The idea is exciting. My experience so far has been with the (newer) iPhone's native satellite functionality, and has been hit-or-miss.

I May I was in Canada on a 14 day trip. Part of that was with others who also had iPhones with this capability. Some of us had 100% of messages go through. Two of us had messages start failing partway though. For example, I could text with my wife perfectly for the first 5 days. Then every attempt failed for the remaining 9...but I could text other people some (not all) of the time.

This fall on a shorter trip, it worked for me every time.

So still carrying an inreach until we see consistent results.

Related note: I tether my phone to my PFD. Always hated feeling vulnerable, should my grip let me down while taking photos.

recped · 2026-01-14T14:30:55-0500

Pseudonym said:
During a trip, my phone last several days in airplane mode (even though I take a lot of pictures and videos) in large part because it's not constantly communicating with cell towers in the background, updated push notifications, etc. If you want to "track" your route actively using GPS, my suspicion is that the phone battery might deplete much more quickly than a dedicated GPS unit. Maybe I'm wrong.

Depends on the GPS unit. My old Garmin (GPSmap78s) is good for 8 - 10 days on a pair of Lithium AA's. A few years ago I picked up a Montana version with touch screen and internal battery, super heavy and needed recharging every day or two.

When you go....go BIG (and live stream your trip)

Starlink

High-speed internet. Available almost anywhere on Earth.

starlink.com

Erica · 2026-01-14T17:54:22-0500

recped said:
Depends on the GPS unit. My old Garmin (GPSmap78s) is good for 8 - 10 days on a pair of Lithium AA's. A few years ago I picked up a Montana version with touch screen and internal battery, super heavy and needed recharging every day or two.

When you go....go BIG (and live stream your trip)

Starlink

High-speed internet. Available almost anywhere on Earth.

starlink.com

As a current star link subscriber I was given a deal on their totally mobile take anywhere in the world model. But I haven’t tried it yet. Just came a few weeks ago and there was a lot going on.

Gamma1214 · 2026-01-14T20:39:23-0500

recped said:
When you go....go BIG (and live stream your trip)

OMG, Take the whole planet along on your trip... That's the stuff of nightmares, right there...

billconner · 2026-01-15T09:29:48-0500

I followed on trip on BWCA.COM. He had his spot set to display location in a post, like every 5 minutes. It was fun to follow his trip. He left it on while in one camp and you could follow him to the thunderbox.

I just try to keep my wife happy, so report in.

Gamma1214 · 2026-01-15T09:43:22-0500

I shared my inReach tracking on this site when I did the Marshall Lake loop in case anyone wanted to follow along but that's far less interactive than live streaming IMO.

I filmed the first few trips with GoPros & other digital cameras (complete with all of the hassles of setting up shots, doubling back for cameras, etc) but I don't even do that any more. I found that I was losing my sense of solitude even by talking to a GoPro... a live stream would be out of the question for me.

ppine · 2026-01-15T10:42:30-0500

Wowie. I have been a reluctant user of modern tech. Working with kids has made me carry a cell phone and text often.
T sat is a great idea. I am in favor of it. It will add a measure of safety for all cell phone users that buy the service.
Much handier than carrying a separate device. This is going to be big.

Punkinhead · 2026-01-15T11:22:01-0500

I remember back in the 90s when cell phones were just becoming ubiquitous. Calls and texts cost money so we didn't give our personal cell number to our employers and instead carried a pager. Flip phones were basic so we also carried something like a Palm Pilot as a planner, calendar, and Rolodex. Phones either had no camera or a lousy one. Phones didn't have a GPS so we had one of those too but it had a tiny screen with a lousy user interface. So a lot of us carried 4 or more separate devices. Many carried them in belt holsters and looked like Batman. I hated it and couldn't wait for the day that all those things would be rolled up into a single device.

T-Satellite

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