Want a satellite phone built into your smartphone instead of a bulky device? The Iridium GO! is what you need… but beware.
The Iridium GO! device looks like a regular portable hotspot that you can use to connect your devices to a mobile network. But instead of a conventional mobile connection, the device connects to Iridium communications satellites that orbit about 500 miles above Earth.
With Iridium GO! you can connect up to five devices via satellite, using Iridium Wi-Fi, allowing you to do the following:
Make voice calls
Quick GPS or message check-ins
Easy settings
Send posts to Twitter
Activate emergency SOS
Iridium GO! is built to MIL-STD 810F spec standards and is water and dust resistant (IP65).
It comes with a battery that lasts for about 7 hours of use and 16 hours of standby.
But let's also look at the disadvantages that "ordinary mortals" who dream of a satellite device should be aware of.
First of all, the device isn't cheap. The device alone will cost you around $800, and data minutes are also expensive (1000 data minutes cost around another $800).
The data transfer speed is slow. Very slow even compared to 3G speeds. The tool will not allow you to watch your favorite videos.
Despite the drawbacks, if you want or need to stay connected when there's no connection, it's the fastest and easiest way to do it, and it works surprisingly well, if you don't expect 3G/4G performance from the service.
