In the new iPhone, Apple has installed a satellite modem for the first time that can send an emergency SMS to a control center via satellite, even far away from mobile phone networks. Apple is already highly praised for this function, but the technology is by no means new. Apple’s satellite modem is also limited by design specifications – since the designers did not want to build a visible large antenna, users have to align the device precisely by hand, and two-way communication is also not possible. Last but not least, the satellite emergency call initially only works in North America.
Anyone who often travels to remote areas, such as in the Alps or Northern Europe, should therefore consider professional alternatives that work almost anywhere and regardless of the orientation thanks to multidirectional antennas.
The US satellite network operator Globalstar is a pioneer of small emergency satellite transmitters. Almost at the same time as the first iPhone, in 2007, he released the mini-transmitter Spot. The device is now in Generation 4 and not only enables emergency calls, but also, unlike Apple’s iPhone, regular predefined messages to friends and relatives: The user can send an “I’m here and I’m fine” check-in along with position data or ask for pickup. Spot has had over 8,000 successful rescues since 2007. With the “Spot X”, Spot also offers a two-way device that can also receive messages.
The US provider Garmin, which recognized the relevance of satellite technology in 2016 and took over the spot competitor DeLorme together with its inReach emergency call technology, goes one step further.
Since then, Garmin has been working on making the satellite transmitters smaller and more efficient. InReach Mini 2 is the name of the manufacturer’s current palm-sized emergency call transmitter, which can be paired with any smartphone via Bluetooth. Once the device is connected, the smartphone becomes a satellite messenger via Garmin’s Earthmate app and can send and receive short messages, and users can also send position data regularly.
Unlike Spot, Garmin uses the Iridium satellite network with global coverage – so the satellite channels work anywhere in the world. The inreach mini transmitter pairs not only with smartphones, but also with Garmin’s outdoor watches, airplane and ship navigation devices and car navigation systems, users can send messages or emergency calls anywhere.
With its current generation of devices, Garmin is going one step further: the inReach chips now fit into off-road car navigation devices, handheld navigation devices, and even devices for tracking hunting dogs. Garmin uses this for a whole range of lucrative additional offers: outdoor navigation systems receive weather reports via satellite transmitters, pilots can track their flights with the devices.
If Garmin’s CEO Clifton Pemble has his way, satellite communication should become an everyday feature and by no means be limited to emergencies. The wealthy outdoor clientele has to pay a lot for this: With Spot, a satellite subscription that can be activated monthly costs just under 18 euros a month, plus an annual fee of 40 euros. Garmin charges at least 19 euros per month for its inReach services, if you want to send unlimited messages, you pay 60 euros per month.
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