What you need to know
- The HMD OffGrid satellite accessory supports 2-way SMS messaging, live tracking, check-in messages, and SOS requests through an Android or iOS phone.
- It supports coverage in North America, Europe, and Austalia/ New Zealand.
- It costs $199 for the device, plus either $79/year or $15/month for satellite depending on the level of service.
- It has three-day battery life, MIL-STD-810H durability, and a companion app for messaging.
HMD Global, the brand behind recent Nokia smartphones, is branching out to satellite messaging. It announced the HMD OffGrid at CES 2025, a satellite accessory for smartphones that looks and performs similar to the Motorola Defy satellite link released in 2023.
The HMD OffGrid uses L Band satellite via Viasat and Skylo (the Defy uses the latter service). It sends messages, voice notes, and check-ins to friends and family from the OffGrid app.
Your SMS messages will be sent from your phone number, so no one else needs to download an app to communicate with you. And real-time tracking will let you share your GPS-based location with up to 5 contacts — via a shared link — by pressing a button on the OffGrid.
While the HMD OffGrid is rated to last three or four days per charge, that’s only with messages and check-ins at regular 30-minute intervals. While it has 10-day standby battery, it will last only a day or two if you’re continuously using GPS and satellite for automatic 3-minute check-ins.
Most importantly for anyone using this satellite dongle in signal-free areas, it supports SOS signals via the device’s dedicated SOS button. Pressing it triggers a series of questions via Focus Point International, the 24/7 emergency service, such as “Are you alone?”, “Where are you?”, and “What happened?”
If necessary, Focus Point will send Overwatch x Rescue services to render aid as needed and foot the bill to rescue you — though you’ll have to pay your own medical bills.
The satellite service covers the mainland and up to 70 miles away from the coast in participating areas like the Americas, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand — with more territories coming “throughout 2025,” HMD says.
“HMD OffGrid is a new, affordable, portable and easy-to-use offering that’s both empoweing and reliable — especially when it matters the most,” says HMD Chairman and CEO Jean-Francis Baril. “Whether you’re hiking in the mountains or skiing off-piste, HMD OffGrid ensures you’re never truly off grid.”
The HMD OffGrid is IP68 dust- and water-resistant, as well as rated for MIL-STD-810H ruggedness. It weighs 60g (2.1oz) and has a dedicated spot for a carabiner, if you want to hang it off of a backpack. It seems very convenient to bring on an overland trip, though we have the same design concern as we did with the Defy: the exposed SOS button seems a bit too easy to press without a cover. Other satellite devices we’ve tested like the Garmin GPSMAP 67i make you remove a protective cover from the SOS button.
Aside from the $199 upfront cost for the OffGrid, you’ll need to pay for HMD Unlimited or HMD Freedom to make this more than a paperweight. Unlimited costs $14.99/month for limitless texts and check-ins, while Freedom costs $79.99/year with a 350-character limit for texts, $0.10 per location check-in, and a $20 activation fee.
HMD also mentioned that it would offer some sort of enterprise program for the OffGrid with unique features, though it didn’t go into too much detail.
While more phones and carriers are adding satellite messaging or SOS services, from the iPhone 14 and Pixel 9 Pro to Verizon phones, something like the HMD OffGrid or Motorola Defy gives you satellite access without tying it to a specific device.
Given that the Defy has generally received middling reviews and had to weather the bankrupcy of Bullitt Satellite Messaging — which was acquired by another company in 2024 — I’m sure outdoorsy folk will appreciate the HMD OffGrid as a potential alternative. The main question will be whether the satellite coverage and messaging works as intended.
For more info, or to preorder the HMD OffGrid, you can buy the satellite device on HMD’s website.
