expecting yourself to be in some god forsaken remote location where your beloved world phone aka iPhone won’t be catching to any signal? well, if you have some 500 greenbacks to splurge, then get this Thuraya SatSleeve Satellite Adaptor for iPhone which will turn your otherwise regular iPhone 4, 4S, or 5, into a full-fledge satellite phone. of course, the surefire solution is to get a satellite phone, but thanks to Thuraya, you can save yourself from carrying yet another device, plus the Thuraya SatSleeve also doubles as an emergency battery for your 4 and 4S. however, that juice pack capability is still a no go for iPhone 5. the reason being, the battery portion of this setup is, at this present moment, designed to fit the 4 and 4S, but you can still take advantage of its satellite functionality using an iPhone 5 since the link between the SatSleeve and the iPhone is essentially via Bluetooth connectivity.
a dedicated app is essential for the working of your iPhone satellite phone, which allows you to make voice calls and text messages. though data is still not supported, however, a data-enabled model will be coming your way within this year (and hopefully, one adapted for iPhone 5 too). that said, it won’t be cheap – not just for the initial money you need for the hardware, but also the voice plan, which you can expect to be raking up around $1.20 per minute for voice call. so we cannot imagine how much it would slap you with when a data model comes along. the SatSleeve itself offers up to 48 hours of standby time, while talk time is said to be around 4 hours. in this respect, if you are expecting to be off the grid for an extended period of time, it is best to equip yourself with solar chargers like the Bushnell PowerSync Solar Chargers – you know, just in case you need more yakking time to keep your sanity instead of talking to a volleyball you named Wilson.
additionally, built into the SatSleeve is a SOS button which can be found when the phone is undocked from the SatSleeve. activating this little red button will triggers dialing of a pre-programmed number. sounds like even an iPhone could be part of your survival gear for your Kathmandu trip. if only it is waterproof, that would be perfect.
Thuraya via
