Anyone got a Motorola phone for satellite texting?

[Isaac Zachary]

I've been wanting to try out T-Mobile's text through satellite service. But my phone is too old as it's not even 5G.

I notice T-Mobile has a 2025 Motorola Moto G for $168 that would work. I'm just trying to decide whether to get it or not.

[Piotrsko]

Hmmmm all sorts of caveats and markup fees in their advertising, including the prospect of them abruptly abandoning the project if it doesn't make enough money or add enough subscribers.
It's starlink, fwtw. Owned and run by Musk for good or bad.

Cant see the justification for talking (eventually) or getting loud annoying popup ads out in the boonies away from everything, which for me is the point of being out there.

It's also multiple times the cost of the service I am now using which does the same as long as there's a wifi device within 100yards or a cell tower within 10 miles.

[Isaac Zachary]

The cost will be either free (included in certain plans) or $10 to $15/month. What do you have that's cheaper than $15/month. What about when internet and phone service is out for days? Then what would you use, or would you just wait for it to turn back on?

For reference, so far T-Mobile is only offering an SMS texting service via Satellite. No internet, no phone service.

[redpoint5]

Eventually sat fallback will become a standard feature on all phones and services.

I so rarely have a need to communicate in a location that lacks cell/WiFi coverage. Would have been nice when I spent an unplanned extra night on a Mt Jefferson glacier, but my friends phone had just enough service he could get a text out to his dad, who then let my parents know.

Basically all of the scenerios in which the feature would have come in handy are due to youthful risk-taking, which I've somewhat outgrown.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

How would it work? Similar to satellite TV? Would it only work between satellite-enabled phones or could you text to someone whose phone relies on cell towers alone?

[freebeard]

Satellite TV has an antenna pointed at a geosynchronous (stationary) satellite while direct-to-cell uses a swarm of LEO satellites that come and go within cell phone range. Technically provider agnostic, tMobile has an exclusive but it's opening up to others.

[Isaac Zachary]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

How would it work? Similar to satellite TV? Would it only work between satellite-enabled phones or could you text to someone whose phone relies on cell towers alone?

It would work like a regular cell phone, except you can only text via satellite when you are out of range of cell towers. So people connected to cell towers will be able to communicate to and from you via text even if you're on satellite. They'd reply to your phone number just as if you were on a cell tower.

Also, if what I'm seeing on other phones is correct (like on Apple's iPhone), you may have to point it in a certain direction towards the sky for it to actually send and receive texts (an app would guide you where to point it). And the time it takes for the texts to fully upload or download would be more than normal cell towers.

[Piotrsko]

When the full constellation is installed, just up will be sufficient even with a tight beam focused antenna.

[JSH]

This works like a Garmin InReach or other satellite communicators but without the extra device. Type in your text, push send, and away it goes. Instead of bouncing of a ground based cell tower it travels through a satellite.

My InReach plan is $15 a month for 50 texts and 10 picture texts or voice messages. It is $30 a month for 150 texts or $50 for unlimited.

I mostly have an InReach for tracking and SOS but the texting has been handy in backcountry trips. It comes it very hand on float trips where we have 5 - 6 boats on the river. The weather reports are also quite handling when backpacking at elevation.

Hopefully more options will bring down the price. It is also important to know the network as network strength varies. In my experience Garmin's coverage is great (Iridium). SPOT's network is garbage (Globalstar)

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

I remember a long-gone carrier named Globalstar, which provided a somewhat regular mobile phone service through satellites instead of towers. A lot of ads for it used to appear on TV in Brazil around 25 to 30 years ago.