The best satellite phones of 2025: Expert tested and reviewed

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We're fortunate to unrecorded successful a clip erstwhile cellphone and Wi-Fi sum is incredibly, but determination are times erstwhile it tin fto you down. For those times, outer phones are a existent game-changer for anyone venturing into distant areas beyond the scope of accepted mobile networks oregon during emergencies oregon earthy disasters. Unlike standard smartphones, which trust connected cellular networks made up of carnal towers, outer phones pass straight with satellites orbiting astir 500 miles supra the Earth.

Also: The champion inexpensive phones you tin buy: Expert tested

Satellite connectivity is an indispensable connection lifeline for galore people, including exigency responders, subject personnel, distant tract researchers, and avid adventurers. However, accessing these networks often comes with a steep price, requiring costly subscriptions that whitethorn not beryllium accessible to everyone.

What is the champion outer telephone close now?

If you're keen connected staying connected nary substance wherever you roam, ZDNET has done extended probe and hands-on investigating with immoderate of the champion outer phones and gadgets connected the market. Our apical prime close present is the Starlink Mini, simply due to the fact that it's 1 of the cheapest ways to entree the afloat internet, and everything that offers, erstwhile connected the go.

Check retired our implicit database to spot however different favourite models from Spot, Garmin, and much comparison successful presumption of features. You'll find the cleanable outer telephone oregon communicator to suit your habits and budget.

The champion outer phones and communicators of 2025

There is nary extremity of outer phones and communicators retired there, but erstwhile it comes to looking astatine what they offer, their features are incredibly limited, portion the terms of monthly contracts is sky-high.

Enter the Starlink Mini. While the crockery volition acceptable you backmost a just chunk of change, you past get entree to high-speed net crossed immense swathes of the globe.

Read the review: How I turned the Starlink Mini into an astir cleanable off-grid net solution

There's a batch to similar astir the Starlink Mini package, from the information that you get existent net access, high-speed information transfer, the quality to usage it connected the determination successful a vehicle, and a crockery that's small, lightweight, and tin adjacent beryllium tally from a powerfulness bank.

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This mobile outer router connects to the Iridium outer constellation, and you get capable information bandwidth to cheque emails, usage Twitter, propulsion up upwind forecasts, and constricted web browsing. You tin link up to 5 devices to the Iridium Go! hotspot. What I similar astir this setup: You unbox it, powerfulness it up, fto it spot the sky, and past it acts overmuch similar a Wi-Fi router that you mightiness person astatine home.

This is not a inexpensive kit, and it's designed for those who genuinely privation to spell off-grid. It includes not lone the Iridium Go! basal presumption and AC question charger with an planetary adapter, but it besides comes with a star charger and a desktop charger. Additionally, the portion offers up to 15.5 hours of standby artillery beingness and up to 5.5 hours of speech time. Its assorted features marque it perfect if you're looking to enactment connected portion exploring distant areas. Its compact plan measures 114 by 82 by 32 mm and weighs lone 305g, making it casual to transportation around.

Review: Iridium GO! Turn immoderate smartphone into a outer phone

The router offers some outer calls and outer SMS, allowing you to pass with others adjacent successful areas without cellular coverage.

The Iridium Go! operates wrong a somesthesia scope of 10℃ to 50℃ and meets MIL-STD 810F standards, meaning it tin withstand harsh environments and utmost upwind conditions. With an IP65 rating, it's besides dust-tight and tin withstand h2o jets from immoderate direction.

Reviews and comments are divided -- those who person bought 1 are implicit the satellite with its capabilities, easiness of use, and the powerfulness it offers. Other reviewers person lamented the $855 terms tag, but that's not much than a premium smartphone.

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While outer connection is present built into the Apple iPhone and Google Pixel, the companies that marque messengers request to up their game. Garmin has present unveiled its caller inReach Messenger Plus, 1 of the archetypal outer communicators to supply photograph and dependable messaging capabilities successful summation to substance messaging, determination sharing, and SOS communications.

With the inReach Messenger Plus, you tin heighten your outdoor adventures by sending 30-second dependable messages, substance messages up to 1,600 characters (including emojis), and sharing your way and GPS location, allowing household and friends to way your journey. Additionally, it accesses upwind forecasts to enactment informed portion exploring the large outdoors, making this instrumentality an indispensable companion for adventurers.

As a standalone outer communicator, the inReach Messenger Plus ensures you're ne'er retired of touch, and adjacent if your smartphone artillery dies oregon gets damaged you tin inactive notify contacts of your status, stock your location, and nonstop SOS messages.

The inReach Messenger Plus is rugged and has an IPX7 water-resistant rating, which means it's built to withstand the elements and past accidents amended than astir devices.

Garmin inReach Messenger Plus tech specs: Dimensions: 78mm x 64mm x 23mm | Weight: 117.2g | Services: Satellite messaging, determination tracking, SOS, and photo/voice connection work | Battery life: Up to 25 days of artillery beingness successful 10-minute tracking mode | IP Rating: IP7X

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Spot is different institution that offers outer trackers and messengers. There's the , a two-way instrumentality that looks a batch similar an aged Blackberry, the , which lets you nonstop check-in and SOS messages, and the , which allows tracking things similar cars and suitcases.

Spot X features a carnal keyboard that is casual to use, particularly if you similar tactile buttons to touchscreens. The instrumentality is durable, too, gathering MIL-STD-810G standards for daze absorption and boasting an ingress extortion standing of IP67. At 166mm x 38mm x 24mm and weighing 198g, the instrumentality is reasonably portable and tin past up to 240 hours.

Also: I held the world's thinnest foldable phone, and it made my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 look outdated

One of the Spot X's astir awesome features is its SOS button, which you tin usage successful an exigency situation. This is simply a peculiarly utile diagnostic if you prosecute successful outdoor activities and tin find yourself without cellular coverage.

Reviewers connected Amazon and Reddit each accidental that portion the device's interface tin beryllium a spot dilatory -- deliberation cellphone-from-a-decade-ago dilatory -- the backlit Blackberry-style keyboard and surface are game-changers due to the fact that they mean you don't request to trust connected a abstracted smartphone to substance rapidly. Yes, it's bigger than communicators that trust connected an on-screen keyboard oregon your smartphone to enactment arsenic a keyboard, but it's a self-contained spot of kit.

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The Garmin inReach Mini 2 is simply a compact and lightweight handheld GPS receiver with a built-in outer communicator that enables two-way messaging, interactive SOS, and TracBack routing globally (active outer subscription required). It has Bluetooth connectivity and is water-resistant.

Users tin stock their determination with loved ones backmost location and get close heading accusation utilizing the integer compass. The instrumentality tin sync with the Garmin Explore app and website for travel readying and topographical mapping. It tin besides brace with Garmin devices to nonstop and person messages and trigger an SOS. Garmin really makes galore satellite-enabled devices, from the simple to the .

Review: Garmin inReach Mini 2 review

The Mini 2 has a artillery beingness of up to 14 days successful 10-minute tracking mode, features a monochrome show that's casual to work successful each lighting conditions, and is waterproof with an IPX7 rating. It has USB-C for casual charging and connectivity with different devices.

While the Garmin inReach Mini 2 is simply a versatile and feature-packed device, it does person a mates of imaginable downsides to consider: it requires an progressive outer subscription, which tin adhd to the wide outgo of the device, and its messaging capabilities are constricted to text-based communication.

User reviews amusement a precocious level of restitution for this outer communicator, and having utilized one, I understand. It's a fantastic spot of kit that offers bid of mind.

Garmin inReach Mini 2 tech specs: Dimensions: 2.04 inches x 3.9 inches x 1.03 inches | Weight: 3.50 oz | Services: Satellite calls and outer SMS | Operating temperatures: -4°F to 140°F | Battery life: Up to 14 days successful 10-minute tracking mode | Durability: N/A | IP Rating: IPX7

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Now, we determination connected to thing that looks and acts similar a phone. The Inmarsat IsatPhone 2.1 is simply a fully-featured outer telephone with near-global sum and bully artillery life.

The Inmarsat IsatPhone 2.1 offers the quality to marque and person dependable calls, nonstop and get SMS, and way your presumption with GPS from anyplace connected the globe. Satellite sum astatine the northbound and southbound poles is poor. Outside of those areas, radical volition get fantabulous coverage.

It has an IK04 daze absorption rating, and the full bundle is IP65 rated for dust- and waterproofing. The built-in lithium-ion artillery offers 8 hours of speech clip and 160 hours connected standby.

Online reviews echo that it's large and bulky, but it's a reliable outer handset if you're looking for voice, SMS, and tracking. It's pugnacious and built for the outdoors, and contempt dropping 1 connected the crushed respective times and pursuing that up by dropping it into a lake, I couldn't interruption the 1 I tested.

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Is it a outer phone? Is it a regular GSM phone? The Thuraya XT-LITE is both, each utilizing a azygous SIM card. Better still, it automatically switches from outer to GSM without immoderate hassle... truthful nary forgotten calls due to the fact that you're retired of coverage.

The Thuraya XT-LITE has a artillery beingness of up to six hours of speech clip and 80 hours of standby time. The telephone comes with a question charger and USB cable. It is casual to usage and tin beryllium programmed successful assorted languages. Overall, it is simply a decent, rugged, no-frills outer phone.

The Thuraya outer web does not connection sum successful the US, truthful this is simply a outer telephone for erstwhile you're successful different territories.

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What are the tariffs successful the U.S.?

The caller U.S. tariffs connected imports from countries similar China, Vietnam, and India purpose to boost home manufacturing but are apt to thrust up prices connected user electronics. Products similar smartphones, laptops, and TVs whitethorn go much costly arsenic companies rethink planetary proviso chains and measurement the outgo of shifting production.

Also: Tariff warfare has tech buyers wondering what's next. Here's what we know

Smartphones and outer telephone and outer messengers are among the astir affected by the caller U.S. tariffs, with devices imported from China and Vietnam facing steep duties that could rise retail prices by 20% oregon more. Brands similar Apple and Google, which trust heavy connected Asian manufacturing, whitethorn either walk these costs connected to consumers oregon sorb them astatine the disbursal of nett margins.

The tariffs could besides pb to delays successful merchandise launches oregon shifts successful wherever and however phones are made, forcing companies to diversify accumulation to countries with much favorable commercialized conditions.

Right now, it looks similar immoderate tech whitethorn beryllium exempt from the issued tariffs, but since it's ever changing and developing, we are keeping an oculus connected it and volition update you connected the latest.

Also: Tariff exemptions for electronics connection a interruption for tech - but not for long

So, which outer telephone is champion for you?

Three factors successful peculiar travel into play:

What bash you request the outer telephone for? Expeditions? Hiking? Emergency use?
How overmuch are you consenting to spend? Prices commencement astatine conscionable implicit $100 and rapidly leap into the thousand-dollar range.
The network. Not each outer networks person planetary coverage.

For example, if you privation an affordable communicator that has planetary sum capabilities, the Garmin inReach Mini 2 fits the bill. Want a fund communicator option? The Motorola Defy fits the bill. Meanwhile, if you privation a outer telephone that tin power from GSM to outer easily, the Thuraya XT-LTE is simply a omniscient choice.

Best outer phonePriceWhere to BuyServices OfferedSatellite NetworkGlobal CoverageDimensionsBattery LifeOperating TemperaturesDurabilityIngress Protection

Starlink Mini	$599	Amazon	Full net access	Starlink	Starlink is disposable successful implicit 100 countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, and astir of Europe and South America.	300mm x 250mm x 40mm	No built successful battery	-22°F to 122°F	N/A	IP67
Iridium GO!	$855	Walmart, Amazon	Satellite calls and SMS	Iridium	Global	114mm x 82mm x 32mm	5.5-hour speech time, 15.5-hour standby time	50°F to 122°F	MIL-STD 810F	IP65
Garmin inReach Messenger Plus	$499	Amazon	Text messages, photos, and dependable notes	Iridium	Global	78mm x 64mm x 23mm	Up to 25 days	50°F to 122°F	MIL-STD 810F	IP65
SPOT X	$239	Amazon, REI	Satellite SMS, automatic positioning, and SOS	GlobalStar	Global	166mm × 38mm × 24mm	240 hours	-4°F to 140 °F	MIL-STD-810G	IP67
Garmin inReach Mini 2	$308	Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy	Two-way messaging, interactive SOS, and TracBack routing	Iridium	Global	2.04 successful x 3.9 successful x 1.03 in	Up to 14 days successful 10-minute tracking mode	-4°F to 140°F	MIL-STD-810	IPX7
Thuraya XT-LITE	$599	Amazon, Walmart	Satellite calls and SMS, GSM	Thuraya	Not successful North/South America	128mm× 53mm × 27mm	6-hour speech time, 80-hour standby time	14°F to 131°F	N/A	N/A
Inmarsat IsatPhone 2.1	$790	Amazon	Voice calls, SMS, GPS tracking	Inmarsat	Nearly Global	16.9 cm x 7.65 cm x 2.9 cm	8-hour speech time, 160-hour standby time	-4°F to 131°F	IK04 daze absorption rating	IP65

Note: Prices and availability whitethorn vary.

Selecting the close outer telephone depends connected your requirements and priorities. It's indispensable to prioritize wherefore you request the telephone and your ain budget. This volition assistance you to prime the champion telephone astatine the champion price, and much importantly, you'll person a connection instrumentality that works wherever you are erstwhile you request it the most.

Below are the cardinal considerations and however each telephone aligns with circumstantial purposes:

Choose this champion outer phone...	If you want...
Starlink Mini	Access to the net arsenic a whole. Forget astir conscionable being capable to nonstop messages oregon entree the weather, with a Starlink Mini and a presumption of the sky, you tin get high-speed net from implicit 100 countries.
Iridium Go!	Global sum and the quality to make a hotspot for aggregate devices. The Iridium Go! is the champion prime due to the fact that it offers outer calls and SMS, has bully artillery life, and is MIL-STD 810F certified for durability.
Garmin inReach Messenger Plus	A small, pugnacious messenger that tin grip text, dependable notes, and photos, and besides beryllium an exigency SOS device. this tin beryllium utilized with your smartphone oregon standalone successful an emergency.
Spot X	Something for occasional usage oregon exigency situations. The Spot X is simply a bully prime due to the fact that it has an SOS diagnostic and is low-cost, but it has constricted features and a tiny carnal keyboard.
Garmin inReach Mini 2	Occasional outer connection and SOS support. The Garmin inReach Mini 2 is perfect due to the fact that it is affordable, lightweight, and offers a scope of features specified arsenic two-way messaging, interactive SOS, and TracBack routing.
Thuraya XT-LTE	A outer telephone that besides acts arsenic a smartphone. The Thuraya XT-LTE is the champion enactment if you privation some outer and GSM capabilities successful a rugged instrumentality perfect for outdoor activities. Unfortunately, it doesn't connection planetary sum and has a constricted artillery life.
Inmarsat IsatPhone 2.1	A classical outer telephone with planetary coverage. The Inmarsat IsatPhone 2.1 offers dependable calls, SMS, GPS tracking, and a programmable exigency assistance button. It is, however, big, bulky, and expensive.

Cost: Satellite connection tends to beryllium much costly than cellular services. The outgo of the telephone itself, on with the work plans and terms per infinitesimal for calls, tin beryllium importantly higher.
Size and Weight: Satellite phones are mostly bulkier and heavier than modern smartphones, which mightiness beryllium a interest if you request to minimize their load.
Data Speeds: While immoderate outer phones connection information services, the speeds are usually overmuch slower than what you're accustomed to with 4G oregon 5G cellular networks. This whitethorn impact the usability of internet-dependent applications.
Satellite Visibility: Different outer systems, specified arsenic Iridium, Globalstar, and Inmarsat, connection antithetic types of sum of the globe, truthful carnivore this successful caput erstwhile you're choosing a strategy for your adventures.

When selecting the champion outer phone, I tested immoderate of the devices and took into information different devices and assorted factors, specified arsenic price, availability, coverage, and usage case. I cautiously analyzed each instrumentality and weighed the pros and cons earlier arriving astatine my conclusions.

Price: The terms tag is ever a factor, particularly for those who are going to usage their outer telephone lone occasionally.
Coverage: Not each outer networks connection planetary coverage, truthful knowing this successful beforehand is important.
Use case: Are you looking for a accepted outer phone, oregon bash you privation thing much specialized, similar a outer hotspot oregon exigency beacon?
Reviews: What are others saying astir these devices? I looked astatine reviews connected Amazon, Reddit, and a clump of different outlets to get a statement of the hardware and the outer service.
Hands-on experience: Over the years, I've utilized a fig of these devices, sometimes briefly, sometimes for respective weeks oregon months. This allows maine to get a amended knowing of the device.

A outer telephone is simply a mobile instrumentality that uses satellites to pass alternatively of compartment towers. The superior relation of a outer telephone is to marque and person calls and SMS messages from virtually anyplace successful the world, including distant areas without compartment coverage.

These are devices that, similar outer phones, link to an orbiting constellation of satellites orbiting thousands of miles supra the Earth, typically successful debased Earth orbit (LEO) oregon geostationary orbit (GEO). These satellites relay signals betwixt the telephone and ground-based stations, which past link the telephone to the regular telephone oregon information network.

Some are standalone devices that person built-in keyboards, portion others trust connected a transportation to a smartphone for the keyboard and display.

Satellite phones and outer communicators tin scope successful terms from a fewer 100 to respective 1000 dollars, depending connected the features and capabilities of the device. Service plans besides alteration successful outgo depending connected the supplier and sum area.

No. Satellite connection units necessitate a wide presumption of arsenic overmuch of the entity arsenic possible, arsenic they pass straight with satellites orbiting the Earth.

You tin usage outer antennas and repeaters if you necessitate a much imperishable solution for indoor use.

Well, benignant of.

Apple has added a diagnostic called "Emergency SOS via satellite," which allows you to interaction exigency services erstwhile you're successful an country without cellular oregon Wi-Fi coverage.

Apple said that "Emergency SOS via satellite" would beryllium escaped until astir November 2024. After that, Apple plans to commencement charging for the service, though close present we don't cognize the price.

This work is presently disposable successful the US, Canada, and astir of Western Europe.

Also: iPhone 15 Plus review

Not really. They're big, bulky, expensive, and the information rates are atrocious compared to adjacent 3G. Instead, they connection services that regular smartphones cannot match.

If you're an avid hiker oregon camper, you cognize that distant areas don't person the champion cellular service. This is wherever outer phones travel successful handy: they springiness you entree to connection successful areas wherever cellular companies don't.

It's little astir which is the champion and much astir what bits of the satellite you privation sum on. Every web offers maps and details of coverage. Keep successful caput that not each networks connection planetary coverage.

Check sum astatine the clip of acquisition due to the fact that it tin -- and does -- alteration regularly. Doing truthful ensures you person the close telephone and web for wherever you request it.

Depending connected the outer network, sat phones tin supply near-global coverage, adjacent successful the astir isolated locations. Popular outer networks include:

Iridium -- provides planetary sum utilizing a constellation of LEO satellites.
Starlink -- provides planetary sum utilizing a constellation of LEO satellites.
Inmarsat -- uses GEO satellites for wide coverage, excluding polar regions.
Globalstar and Thuraya -- determination sum with partial planetary access.

Not each do. In fact, sum varies considerably betwixt the networks.

Starlink

Starlink sum is disposable successful implicit 100 countries. Coverage representation tin beryllium recovered connected the company's website.

Iridium

Iridium offers planetary coverage. Live representation of outer locations are disposable from Iridiumwhere.com.

Globalstar

Globalstar sum maps tin beryllium recovered connected the company's website.

Inmarsat

Inmarsat has astir planetary coverage. Maps tin beryllium recovered connected the company's website.

Satellite phones, similar the Thuraya XT-LITE, connection features that you typically find connected cellular phones, specified arsenic calling and messaging. While the Thuraya XT-LITE does not connection planetary sum and some North and South America are not covered, it has a unsocial quality to toggle betwixt a GSM web and outer communications. This means that you don't person to interest astir dropped calls successful distant locations.

Plus, the telephone lone requires 1 SIM card. Additionally, it has a rugged body, making it a durable enactment for outdoor adventures. Keep successful caput that outer phones inactive person drawbacks compared to smartphones, specified arsenic bulkiness and constricted information rates.

Based connected my idiosyncratic experience, outer phones are highly reliable and service arsenic a large security argumentation if you're heading retired into distant and uncharted territories. Since they run connected outer communication, they connection a wide scope of sum that is not disposable with cellular service, particularly successful mountainous regions oregon areas with constricted web coverage.

Satellite devices bash person immoderate limitations, specified arsenic slower connection speeds than smartphones. It's important to support this successful caput erstwhile readying for exigency situations oregon different time-sensitive connection needs.