, camera
IsatPhone 2
The IsatPhone 2 is the latest generation of phones from Inmarsat. With coverage available for 99.9% of our earth, there’s very few places you’ll go that won’t work with this great phone.
It’s much thicker, but otherwise similar in width and height to an iPhone 6, this phone comes with a holster and a swivel clip that will let you fasten it to a belt, camera strap or a backpack strap. In the folded position, it can still receive calls.
Removing it from the case, simply spin the antenna to a vertical position and you are ready to connect.
It takes about 20 seconds to connect when in open country, but if you are around obstructions, it can take a minute or more to get a good connection. The instructions state you need to be in an open area, and they are right, it works considerably better there.
Amazing call clarity
Call clarity is amazingly clear, especially given the fact that it is traveling 22, 238 miles up to and back from a revolving satellite. Compare that to AT&T who had a cell tower 5 miles from my house and I couldn’t get a signal. But I digress.
If you have great call quality, but your battery won’t last more than a day, that could be a problem. So, the engineers of the IsatPhone 2 made sure you have enough juice to last most treks or hikes. I’m assuming that’s why the phone is so much thicker than my cell phone.
After 30 days, of limited use, turning the phone off when not needed, I still had 80% battery left. Rated battery life is actually 8 hours of talk time and 160 hours of standby.
Knowing the phone is liable to go to some less than desirable locations, the Inmarsat people designed it to operate in a temperature range from -4°F to 131°F, as well being shock, dust and splash resistant (IK04 and IP65).
This phone is loaded
Not only is the call clarity great, the phone is loaded with additional features:
- Dependable connectivity
- High voice quality
- Voicemail, text and email messaging – you can even send Tweets
- Extended battery capacity
- Charges with micro USB connector so you can use handy portable battery packs for recharging
- Easy to read display, even in sunlight
- Assistance button – sends GPS location data and text to a pre-set emergency number – this button has a flip-back cover to prevent accidental triggering
- Tracking – sends location information (See below for detailed text message)
- Bluetooth for hands-free use
- Incoming call alerts with antenna stowed while in its holster
- Ergonomic and ruggedised handset
Isatphones are available through a dealer network or on [easyazon_link identifier=”B00J8OA220″ locale=”US” tag=”thetra03-20″]Amazon[/easyazon_link]. MSRP is $999 but deals are available. Airtime can be purchased in bundles of minutes – usually averaging about $1 per minute.
Photographers, while data can be transmitted via the phone, you probably wouldn’t want to try transmitting large digital photo files. The data service is a 2.4kbps channel which would take a really long time to transmit large files. Tweets, emails = yes. A hi-res selfie = no.
For more information, be sure to check out their site at http://www.inmarsat.com/isatphone/ or email them at info@inmarsat.com. Thinking of another sat phone? Check out the comparison list. Download a brochure.
Disclosure: Inmarsat provided me with a phone to try out during this review.
[easyazon_infoblock align=”none” identifier=”B00J8OA220″ locale=”US” tag=”thetra03-20″][easyazon_infoblock align=”none” identifier=”B00HRGKNKC” locale=”US” tag=”thetra03-20″]