This Bluetooth Fob Turns IPhones Or Android Devices Into Twoway Satellite Messengers
© Picture. Bullitt Motorola Defy Satellite Link Accessory by Bullitt.Bullitt, the company that brings you rugged Cat smartphones with thermal imaging cameras, integrates advanced satellite emergency response technology into a Motorola Bluetooth key fob accessory.
Debuting at MWC 2023, Motorola's new Defy Satellite Link could let almost any smartphone send and receive text messages without a cellular connection. Satellite capabilities are integrated after Apple added Satellite Emergency SOS to the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch Ultra. Qualcomm also plans to bring similar technology to its upcoming high-end Android devices later this year, but Bullitt and MediaTek say their devices will be the first where you can have such a two-way conversation.
Outdoor users who don't want to upgrade to a new iPhone or are disappointed that Samsung is in the space race with the new Galaxy S23 series have the option of staying with the iPhone they already have. Defy Satellite Link pairs with the Bullitt Satellite Messenger app on Android and iOS devices and can share location, emergency assistance and two-way messaging via satellites.
The Defy Satellite Link accessory costs $99 less than buying a new phone with the technology, including the recently announced $599 Motorola Defy 2 Bullitt , which packs the same MediaTek chip we'll soon see in mid-range Android phones. Defy devices can connect to geostationary satellites 22,300 miles above Earth using 3GPP NTN "direct-to-device" open satellite communication technology.
To use the actual service, you need to pay $4.99 per month (starting) for SOS Assist, powered by FocusPoint International. There's also a $149 package that comes with the Defy Satellite Link device and a year's subscription to the Essentials Messaging Service, which includes up to 30 two-way Bullitt Satellite Messenger messages per month and SOS Assist. People on the other end of the call will receive a plain text message to their existing phone, inviting them to download the corresponding Android or iOS app so they can respond.
According to CNET , Bullitt's Skylo-powered network will rely on Inmarsat and EchoStar geostationary satellites for communications, while CNBC reports that satellite coverage will be active in Europe and the United States. Africa and Latin America in mid-2023.
The Defy Satellite Link can also provide simple SOS and location sending via a physical record button, even when paired with a smartphone. According to the company, it has a 600mAh battery that lasts for "days" and is IP68 water and dust resistant.
By comparison, Apple's one-way service uses a constellation of 24 low-orbit satellites in partnership with Globalstar. The purchase of a new iPhone 14 or Apple Watch Ultra provides two years of service that can send messages, SOS notifications and share my location with loved ones using the 53 / n53 communication range.
