This Pocket-Sized Device Turns Your Smartphone Into a Sat Phone

Remember that time you got lost in the woods? Never again.

April 6, 2018 9:00 am

From seasoned backcountry sherpas to casual day-hikers, outdoor enthusiasts are always looking for new solutions to off-grid emergencies. Bonus points if that solution is intuitive, lightweight and resourceful.

Enter the new-to-market Somewear Global Hotspot, which aims to be “the world’s smallest two-way satellite communication device.” Translation: it’s a packable piece of gear that weighs in at just three ounces and has the power to turn any phone into a satellite phone.

Satellite phones, as you may or may not know, often take the form of walkie talkies for adults (see: Garmin’s new inReach SE+). But Somewear forgoes the hardware, leveraging a satellite communication network to turn your smartphone into a go-anywhere communication hotspot.

Not only will Somewear let you send and receive text messages and GPS location data, it also sends out weather reports, and, perhaps most importantly, sports an SOS button.

Currently on Kickstarter, the tiny device is well underway to reaching its goal.

Happy trails.

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