Looking for a satphone, but unsure which model to choose?  Whether you’re looking to stay connected while exploring the outdoors or working in remote locations, we’re going to take a quick look at some of the world’s leading handsets.

Inmarsat IsatPhone 2

Offering global coverage, Inmarsat’s IsatPhone 2 has a range of additional features, building on the success of its predecessor to help you stay connected in the most extreme and remote locations.

Product Features

Rugged Build

With an IP65 and IK04 rating, the IsatPhone 2 can operate within temperatures of   -20°C to 55°C and has a humidity tolerance of up to 95%, with dust, splash, and shock resistance.

Assistance Button

Inmarsat has added an assistance button to the IsatPhone 2 and making it quick and easy to send an emergency message to a pre-installed number in case of an emergency.

Bluetooth

The IsatPhone 2 has also added Bluetooth functionality, allowing you to use the phone hands-free with a Bluetooth headset.

Battery Life

The IsatPhone 2 offers some of the best battery life in the market. With a single full charge, you will get 160 standby times and 8 hours of talk time.

Tracking

The IsatPhone 2 has a built-in feature to send your location via SMS with the built-in GPS. This can come in handy for safety, keeping your team/family/friends updated on your location.

Easy to use interface

The IsatPhone 2 can be registered to the network in under 45 seconds. On top of that, it includes an easy-to-use interface, high-visibility, and scratch-resistant translative display.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the IsatPhone 2 is an exceptional satphone for travel and outdoor exploring. With its reliable connectivity and global coverage, the IsatPhone 2 keeps you connected without worrying about where you’re travelling to. With its flexible airtime packages, this satphone can be tailored to your requirements with minimal commitment, allowing you to stay flexible with your usage.

Thuraya X5-Touch

The world’s first satellite phone to use an Android operating system, the X-5 Touch combines Thuraya’s established network with ultra-modern functionality.

Product features

Fully Ruggedised

With an IP 67 rating, the X5-Touch is protected from dust and water. It has also been tested so that it can withstand shock, vibration and extreme temperatures.

Dual Mode (Dual SIM)

Communicate seamlessly in either GSM or satellite mode. The X5-Touch works over Thuraya’s L-band satellite network while also working as GSM 2G/3G/4G/LTE networks. The satphone comes equipped with two nano-SIM slots for ultimate flexibility, allowing you to choose from a combination of both GSM SIM cards and Thuraya’s SIM cards to suit your operational needs.

SAT and GSM

Using the X5-Touch always-on function, you can simultaneously receive a GSM call while on an active satellite call or vice versa. Ideal for business users or safety-critical applications like Mining, Oil and Gas, or Emergency Rescue.

Advanced Navigation

The satphone comes equipped with GPS, BeiDou, and Glonass systems allowing for location and tracking flexibility in all regions. The satphone can send your current location details to pre-defined numbers via SMS or email using pre-installed navigation and tracking apps. This can be set up to transmit at a pre-set time, distance travelled, or when the device moves outside a pre-set geofence (mapped area).

SOS Button

This phone comes with an SOS button for emergencies. When pressed, the phone will send a message to a pre-programmed number.

Battery Life

Despite its large screen, this X-5 Touch still delivers up to 100 hours of standby time and 11 hours of talk time on a single charge.

Accessories

The X5-Touch also offers a range of accessories, including indoor repeaters, allowing for operation inside buildings, demonstrating that Thuraya has considered the needs of workers operating in temporary, portacabin style offices in remote locations. They also offer several power-boosting solutions too, including a solar charger and spare quick-change batteries.

Conclusion

Building on the success of their SatSleeve and SatSleeve HotSpot, Thuraya has identified a need for a satphone for the modern market. The X5-Touch provides the functionality we’re all used to on our everyday smartphones, with access to apps, cameras and messaging, with the bonus of satellite connectivity.

Appealing to business users, the X5 Touch allows mining, oil and gas and other remote commercial operators to travel between mobile and satcom coverage areas with a single device. That’s one contact list to maintain, one device for access to email and messaging apps, with no need to devise hop and less risk of missing critical messages.

Iridium Extreme

The Iridium Extreme (aka Iridium 9575) combines worldwide connectivity with military-grade toughness, helping keep you and your team connected and safe.

Product Features

Safety

A programmable one-touch SOS button allows you to quickly and easily send an emergency text to a programmed emergency contact with your location, with access to 24/7 emergency assistance.

Military Grade Design

Extreme by name, extreme by nature and designed with military users in mind, the handset offers a weather-resistant keypad, wind-resistant microphone, IP65 and MIL-STD 810F rating for dust and water.

Size

The Iridium Extreme is the smallest Iridium satphone yet at just 140mm in length, 60mm in width by 27mm depth.

Coverage

With Iridium’s industry-leading global coverage, you don’t need to worry about your destination and can stay truly connected worldwide.

Tracking

Offering a range of location-based solutions, the Iridium Extreme can provide real-time tracking to increase business efficiency, improve military and emergency response times, track critical assets or keep family and friends up-to-date.

Ideal for safety-critical operations, you can monitor employees en route through position updates and geo-fencing, using scheduled check-ins for automated checks, helping ensure the safety of remote personnel

Using Google Maps, Iridium Extreme even allows you to send an SMS text message with your exact location coordinates to anyone, from anywhere on the surface of the planet

Battery

The Iridium Extreme offers a battery life of up to 30 hours standby time and 4 hours of talk time.

Conclusion

This satphone can survive rough handling with military-grade durability, making it popular with outdoor enthusiasts, defence users, and mining operations. The dedicated SOS button can offer critical connectivity as part of remote working emergency response plans, providing an instant message and location from anywhere in the world.