Offline
Looks interesting. I retired from Rogers over 2 years ago otherwise I would have likely been involved in the launch but as it stands I don't know much. I just signed up for the beta.
It is free until the end of Oct. and looks like you don't need to be a Rogers mobile customer to join.
$10/mth after that for the first 12 months. Will try it out and see if it is worth it yet. Eventually this will spell the end of Inreach etc..Not sure if we are there yet though.
Last edited by ShawnD (7/21/2025 1:20 pm)
Offline
SpaceX's Cellular Starlink Arrives in Canada Through Rogers
Last edited by Barbara (7/21/2025 11:06 pm)
Offline
It's the battery life that will keep InReach relevant (unfortunately). I don't know of a phone that will last a week+ on a charge.
Offline
scratchypants wrote:
It's the battery life that will keep InReach relevant (unfortunately). I don't know of a phone that will last a week+ on a charge.
I dunno, I can get 7-8 days with minimal usage out of mine. I can also get a lot of power banks or solar for the cost of just 1 season of inReach. Plus a phone affords the luxury of weather updates and any alerts we may need.
I've been waiting on this over Garmin or a PLB for years, glad to see it's finally coming.
Offline
So they accepted me I’m on the beta. Won’t be on a trip for a bit but will try it out.
A few more things I have learned.
Need to be on a newer device. iPhone 13 or newer or a newer Samsung etc.
If you are a Rogers customer and on an Ultimate plan it will be included in the plan after the beta at no additional cost.
If you need to pay for it …$10/mth for the first 12 months 15/mth after that.
You will be able to cancel and re-add the feature at anytime if you are paying for it.
I looked at the coverage map. All of APP is covered. Plan on hiking the Pukaskwa Coastal trail in Sept .. it is all covered. Most places in Ontario even further North look covered. Wabakimi , Woodland Caribou etc all covered.
I think it’s just texting no data for now. . So looking at your weather network app won’t work. You would need someone to send you a forecast for the area you are in.
“ the service will expand to picture messaging, data, and even voice calls down the road.”
I will add part of me isn’t happy for its arrival. I like the disconnect but as someone who has had emergencies in the backcountry and have family members with health issues the pros out weigh the cons.
Can we all agree now to treat it like a movie theatre though ? All phones on silent mode please. 🙏
Last edited by ShawnD (Yesterday 10:45 am)
Thread StarterOffline
This is going to be crazy with people fully connected anywhere. I've been choosing places specifically for the lack of mobile coverage and it appears that will disappear soon.
Offline
It's the battery life that will keep InReach relevant (unfortunately). I don't know of a phone that will last a week+ on a charge.
I dunno, I can get 7-8 days with minimal usage out of mine. I can also get a lot of power banks or solar for the cost of just 1 season of inReach. Plus a phone affords the luxury of weather updates and any alerts we may need.
I've been waiting on this over Garmin or a PLB for years, glad to see it's finally coming.
I can get 3 days, tops if i don't use anything. If intended use is similar to InReach - providing route updates - that's going to cost some power. And battery banks aren't light. Don't get me wrong - I love the idea, I'm just speculating on practicality. The InReach is a tough little nugget of a device. I trust it as part of an overall safety plan. My cell phone does not meet my requirements in a back country situation. Now if a hardened, mission-specific mobile device were available...
1 of 1