Smartphone owners love their devices for the connectivity and convenience these bring to their lives, but those two factors don't always go hand in hand for frequent travelers.
Even though "not all those who wander are lost," we all know the feeling when our usually handy smartphone turns into nothing more than a camera and interactive map when we travel to places without signal, but that is a thing of the past now.
Smartphone owners have many different options when it comes to shielding their devices from the usual wear and tear. While some cases are only an aesthetic addition, others promise better results for games like Pokémon GO or better reception. Now there is a smartphone case that actually delivers on the promise of better signal by turning a smartphone into a satellite phone.
Thuraya SatSleeve
The Thuraya SatSleeve is an incredibly simple smartphone case with an accompanying smartphone app. It transforms iPhones and Android smartphones into satellite phones whenever a device's usual terrestrial network is unavailable so owners can rest at ease that they will always be connected.
The SatSleeve itself is not a new technology. It has been around since 2013 but it only worked with the iPhone 4 and 4S at that time and only supported voice and text messages. Huge shoutout of thanks to Adrian Kingsley-Hughes of ZDnet for notifying everyone that the range of devices and support has expanded.
SatSleeve Features And Supported Devices
The Thuraya SatSleeve now supports recent iPhone models with its changeable adaptors and compatible free app on the Apple App Store.
For Android devices, the SatSleeve is compatible with the Samsung Galaxy S4 with adaptors for the S3 and S5 (sold separately) but also fits more recent Android smartphones.
The SatSleeve app supports 12 different languages and can now be used for calls, emails, instant messaging and social media applications.
The SatSleeve case has an emergency call button so you can contact your loved ones even when your smartphone is not docked in place.
All one has to do is to slip their smartphones in the SatSleeve, install the free app, and, when you activate the satellite phone mode, you are instantly connected to Thuraya's reliable satellite network coverage that encompasses 161 countries all over the globe.
The SatSleeve sells for almost $500, but if you really want the convenience of a satellite phone connectivity without having to discard your current smartphone, it may be a good deal.
