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As someone who goes out hiking a ton in places without cell service, this feature has me thinking if I should upgrade from my iPhone 11. One gripe I do have is

As someone who goes out hiking a ton in places without cell service, this feature has me thinking if I should upgrade from my iPhone 11. One gripe I do have is that it only allows for emergency communications. I wish Apple would just let you pay extra every month and get X number of messages or minutes of satellite service. I'm also considering the Garmin InReach but one thing that concerns me about that is that it has to be tethered to your device to work. Not that it's a major concern but makes me think if I'm getting a standalone device, I might as well get one that is fully standalone. If anyone has product recommendations in this area I would really appreciate it.

sithadmin 4y ago
My Garmin InReach 2 needs to be paired to a phone for setup, and there are some app-only extra features (e.g. path tracing on a map), but it doesn't need to be actively connected to a mobile device to 'work' as intended in the field.
biomcgary 4y ago
My wife hikes a LOT and takes her InReach every time. She has already saved the life of one person that she met on the trail who was in very bad shape. Doctors said that the rescued woman had less than an hour left without intervention, which wouldn't have happened in time with a traditional emergency beacon (which can't text). I strongly recommend it (and the helicopter insurance too) for anyone in the back country on a semi-regular basis.
GeekyBear 4y ago
> I wish Apple would just let you pay extra every month and get X number of messages or minutes of satellite service. Texting is extremely pricey with Garmin's plans. 40 texts a month for a monthly fee of $35 or 10 texts a month for $15, in addition to a $29.95 activation fee.
SpikeDad 4y ago
>One gripe I have is that it allows only for emergency communications Sorry that's not true. You didn't watch the presentation did you? Apple specifically noted that the service would be available for "more casual" communications.

sithadmin 4y ago

My Garmin InReach 2 needs to be paired to a phone for setup, and there are some app-only extra features (e.g. path tracing on a map), but it doesn't need to be actively connected to a mobile device to 'work' as intended in the field.

biomcgary 4y ago

My wife hikes a LOT and takes her InReach every time. She has already saved the life of one person that she met on the trail who was in very bad shape. Doctors said that the rescued woman had less than an hour left without intervention, which wouldn't have happened in time with a traditional emergency beacon (which can't text). I strongly recommend it (and the helicopter insurance too) for anyone in the back country on a semi-regular basis.

GeekyBear 4y ago

> I wish Apple would just let you pay extra every month and get X number of messages or minutes of satellite service. Texting is extremely pricey with Garmin's plans. 40 texts a month for a monthly fee of $35 or 10 texts a month for $15, in addition to a $29.95 activation fee.

SpikeDad 4y ago

>One gripe I have is that it allows only for emergency communications Sorry that's not true. You didn't watch the presentation did you? Apple specifically noted that the service would be available for "more casual" communications.