Smartphone alternatives

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Geektastic

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#1961903 21-Feb-2018 23:01

IcI:

Geektastic: ... would be a handset that used normal cell system, ... but also had the ability to switch to satellite calling if required.

Is this for your GetThru bag or are you regularly in an area with no cell coverage?

Reasonably regularly, yes. There are still some quite wide swathes of countryside out there which have no coverage.

I also travel to some quaint places like Myanmar and rural Cambodia where coverage is non-existent.

Geektastic

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#1961904 21-Feb-2018 23:03

vexxxboy:

Geektastic:

backfiah:

Like this? http://www.thuraya.com/xt-pro-dual

Yes. Exactly that.

Which has no dealers in NZ..!

not cheap

https://www.globaltelesat.co.uk/thuraya-xt-pro-dual-satellite-phone

Well, you say that, but in fact that handset is NZ$1300 equivalent - about NZ$1000 less than an Iridium-only handset here in NZ...!

Batman

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#1961978 22-Feb-2018 07:51

I on the other hand would like a top spec phone that isn't the size of a book.

All the smaller phones are handicapped and I hope the fashion pendulum swings back toward tiny. A phone with a wide angle large aperture front camera, and 3 prime lenses at the back for ultra wide, normal and ultra telephoto with ois and large aperture.

tdgeek

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#1961988 22-Feb-2018 08:03

Geektastic:

backfiah:

Wouldn't it be cheaper to have a dumb phone and enable roaming with one of the NZ carriers with reasonable roaming rates? I feel like roaming is cheaper than satellite these days.

Roaming is (or can be) cheaper, especially on VF.

However it (obviously) does not work where there is no cell coverage and that is a surprising amount of NZ, never mind elsewhere.

Also, although you can roam in a list of countries for $5/day on VF, that does not include quite a lot of places I visit.

Making a phone that combines cell and satellite seems like an obvious thing to do - I am surprised it has not been done.

Because its not obvious. Its like buying a car with a feature that will rarely get used by anyone. Hence that feature is never there

Geektastic

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#1962118 22-Feb-2018 10:34

tdgeek:
Geektastic:

backfiah:

Wouldn't it be cheaper to have a dumb phone and enable roaming with one of the NZ carriers with reasonable roaming rates? I feel like roaming is cheaper than satellite these days.

Roaming is (or can be) cheaper, especially on VF.

However it (obviously) does not work where there is no cell coverage and that is a surprising amount of NZ, never mind elsewhere.

Also, although you can roam in a list of countries for $5/day on VF, that does not include quite a lot of places I visit.

Making a phone that combines cell and satellite seems like an obvious thing to do - I am surprised it has not been done.

Because its not obvious. Its like buying a car with a feature that will rarely get used by anyone. Hence that feature is never there

I disagree. If you could make a smartphone handset that could seamlessly connect anywhere in the world and at reasonable cost, in this day and age I don’t think you could make enough of them.

Geektastic

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#1962121 22-Feb-2018 10:36

Batman: I on the other hand would like a top spec phone that isn't the size of a book.

All the smaller phones are handicapped and I hope the fashion pendulum swings back toward tiny. A phone with a wide angle large aperture front camera, and 3 prime lenses at the back for ultra wide, normal and ultra telephoto with ois and large aperture.

The thing you appear to want is a camera with a phone in!

Lenovo

Shop now for Lenovo laptops and other devices (affiliate link).

tdgeek

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#1962123 22-Feb-2018 10:45

Geektastic:
tdgeek:

Geektastic:

backfiah:

Wouldn't it be cheaper to have a dumb phone and enable roaming with one of the NZ carriers with reasonable roaming rates? I feel like roaming is cheaper than satellite these days.

Roaming is (or can be) cheaper, especially on VF.

However it (obviously) does not work where there is no cell coverage and that is a surprising amount of NZ, never mind elsewhere.

Also, although you can roam in a list of countries for $5/day on VF, that does not include quite a lot of places I visit.

Making a phone that combines cell and satellite seems like an obvious thing to do - I am surprised it has not been done.

Because its not obvious. Its like buying a car with a feature that will rarely get used by anyone. Hence that feature is never there

I disagree. If you could make a smartphone handset that could seamlessly connect anywhere in the world and at reasonable cost, in this day and age I don’t think you could make enough of them.

There is no market, so a manufacturer is not going to make a phone that costs more to make, so has a higher price that its competitors due to extra feature that hardly anyone wants or needs. The obvious solution is to buy a satellite phone and stick it in the top drawer. Or use the satellite phone as your daily driver

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#1962155 22-Feb-2018 11:43

I love it. A post is authored querying the existence of a device. The device is available, a link is provided. Yet we still have arguments that no one is going to manufacture such a device. I propose the OP will now justify why they wont buy what they said they wanted.

Aredwood

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#1962180 22-Feb-2018 12:21

@geektastic check the coverage before you buy it. As NZ is actually on the edge of the coverage zone for Thuraya satellite.

My understanding is that iridium is the only satellite phone network that actually covers the entire world.

Geektastic

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#1962182 22-Feb-2018 12:23

1eStar: I love it. A post is authored querying the existence of a device. The device is available, a link is provided. Yet we still have arguments that no one is going to manufacture such a device. I propose the OP will now justify why they wont buy what they said they wanted.

@Aredwood above gives the answer why you would not buy the device to use in NZ - if you look at the coverage map, Australia is in and NZ is out.

Geektastic

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#1962197 22-Feb-2018 12:55

Aredwood: @geektastic check the coverage before you buy it. As NZ is actually on the edge of the coverage zone for Thuraya satellite.

My understanding is that iridium is the only satellite phone network that actually covers the entire world.

Inmarsat covers most of the world with the exception of the North & South Pole. I probably won't be going there alone..!

Globalstar does cover almost all NZ (the far North can be a bit patchy apparently depending on satellite position when you use the service). Globalstar is better for N American customers - they get free roaming and unlimited calls for $199/month, which by satellite phone standards is a racing bargain.

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