The Iridium GO!® is a small but rugged Wi-Fi hotspot that enables your smartphone or tablet to make phone calls or send text messages over the global Iridium network. Up to 5 smartphones can be connected simultaneously.
The Iridium GO! has a great battery. You can make up to 7 hours of phone calls on a single charge. If that is not enough, Outfitter Satellite offers a lightweight USB solar charging option that you can mount on your back pack.
How Does it Work?
Download a free Iridium GO! App for your smartphone. Now you can make phone calls, send SMS messages, or even leave an automatic GPS breadcrumb trail for your friends. If you have an emergency, the Iridium GO! lets you send an "SOS" notification directly from this app.
Can I Send Email?
Yes, but it does require a special app. The Iridium Mail & Web app is FREE. It's a great tool for sending and receiving emails or photosharing. The data speed of the Iridium GO! is only 2400 bps so we recommend sending emails with attachments no larger than 100 KB. Unfortunately, the low 2400 bps data rate of the Iridium GO! is too slow for most web browsing activities so we strongly recommend against the GO! for web browsing applications. A special service plan with unlimited Iridium GO! internet access. This plan is great for people that intend to send or receive large numbers of emails, send lots of texts or location reports, or download GRIB files. Here is a quick video showing you how easy it is to get started with the Iridium Mail & Web app.
GPS Tracking Features:
The Iridium GO! can be a powerful safety tool. The Iridium GO! app on your smart phone will allow you to select a time interval for GPS position updates. Then identify the email address of the person that will be receiving the reports. These email reports will contain your latitude, longitude, altitude and the time your position report was sent. The GPS tracking reports are billed as SMS (short message service) messages.
Sending an S.O.S. from the Iridium GO!
If you have an emergency, a single button press will send an email alert that is tagged as an EMERGENCY and includes your GPS location. This can be done directly from the Iridium GO! without a smart device. An S.O.S. also can be sent using the Iridium GO! app on a smart device. An S.O.S. from the app can also start a voice call to an emergency number of your choice. How it works depends on how you configure it. You choose.
Global Emergency Response Services or GEOS is included with your Iridium GO! at no additional cost. This is a tremendous safety feature, especially for people traveling in remote areas of the world. Before using GEOS, you must register online and configure the S.O.S. button to contact GEOS during an emergency. See our review of GEOS.
* Iridium GO! support for laptop computers, including Windows and Macintosh operating systems, will not be available at launch but is expected in the future. Iridium GO! tracking services use SMS messaging. The monthly fee of some postpaid plans for the Iridium GO! includes an unlimited amount of SMS messaging. Usage of other services such as voice calling is at additional cost as described in the service agreement(s). Outfitter Satellite offers optional web-based tracking services for additional cost that can store the GPS reports so that you can see your Iridium GO! tracking history. Please call for more information. The data rate of Iridium GO! is 2400 bps. It is not a broadband internet device. Only specialized internet applications such as the Iridium Mail & Web app, can be expected to perform adequately via an Iridium GO! device. Outfitter Satellite has found that Iridium GO! is effective for light email activities when the Mail & Web app is used. Web browsing is not recommended by Outfitter Satellite. Broadband internet applications such as Skype and video conferencing are not supported.