Motorola Defy Satellite Link Review
The Defy Satellite link is stripped down back country communicator at a very attractive price point. It doesn’t pack some of the same features found in Garmin’s more premium devices but for those wanting peace of mind when out in the hills it’s a great little device.
Part of the joy of heading out into the wild is getting away from it all, the buzz of daily life fades away to be replaced with sounds of nature. Some of my favourite trips have been exploring places far from civilization, often a few days away from the nearest village and it would be rare to see another person. Phone signal is these places is often patchy at best which can be great for escaping daily life, but when things go wrong it can rapidly turn into a dire situation.
Modern technology has graced us with a few options for staying in touch with loved ones or being able to contact emergency services out in the hills and the latest offering from Motorola attempts to make that task that bit easier.
The Defy Satellite Link uses a NTN satellite connectivity chip to allow two way communication even when you’re far from phone signal and provides messaging, check in and SOS features for ultimate piece of mind. Best of all, it only costs £99 which makes it super accessible for those wanting peace of mind but perhaps don’t want to splash out on the Garmin alternative.
I headed to the depths of Wales to see if it was as seamless of an experience as promised.
3.5/5
£99 | Buy from Motorola
Positives
Affordable initial outlay and low monthy cost
Easy to use
Small and lightweight
Negatives
Poor battery life
Lacks some handy features
Lacks worldwide coverage
The Lowdown
Weighs 70g
4 Day battery life
IP68 Rated
Uses 4 satellite systems
2 way communication
The palm sized device only weighs 70 grams and with its rounded edged and thin profile, it’s easy to slip into a pocket or the top of a rucksack. There’s a fabric loop with metal hardware that can be clipped onto whatever you please; it’s wise to keep it close to hand should you injure yourself and need to access it easily. There’s no carabiner included so you’ll have to dig one out of the drawer to clip it to things, but the strap can double up as a belt mount for even more options.
There’s no screen on the device, just three buttons on the side which allow you to power the device on, trigger and SOS and send a predetermined message. All other interactions with the device happen through the app.
The Defy Satellite Link is cut out to be a rugged device, packing IP68 ingress protection, waterproof up to 1.5m for 30 minutes and is tested to MIL SPEC 810H which in English means its resistant to a host of unpleasant tests, as well as a claimed operation temperature range of -30ºc to +55ºc. The key takeaway here is that it’s really rugged and will be able to cope with anything you can throw at it.
Battery life is where the Defy Satellite Link falls down a little, only offering 4 days from it’s 600mAh lithium battery. The Garmin InReach Mini can muster 24 days in its least power-hungry mode so it’s tricky to recommend the Defy Satellite Link for expedition use unless you want to carry a powerbank.
Fire up the Defy Link app and the device comes to life, you can send messages, edit presets and summon SOS directly from your phone once the device is paired which was a painless process. In order for the device to work, you’ll beed a purchase a message plan, with prices ranging from £4.99 a month up to £29.99 a month depending on how many messages you intend to send; all plans include SOS assist.
Sending and receiving messages is very simple, just type in the phone number of the recipient or select it from your phone’s contacts, type the message and hit send. Replies will appear as push notification on your smartphone.
I found messaging to be pretty seamless and reliable so would have no worries about relying on the Defy Link when in need.
If travelling abroad, be sure to check the coverage as Motorola aren’t offering worldwide support and at this point in time, only Europe and the US are covered, with South America, Africa, South East Asia and Oceania coming later. Swathes of the Middle East and Asia are completely unsupported.
The ‘satellite communicator’ sector isn’t a particularly competitive one as it’s currently dominated by Garmin and their InReach platform which I personally use and love for its tracking features. The initial cost and ongoing subscription does make it an expensive option, with plans running about £30 a month and initial device outlay of £250.
I can see the Defy Satellite Link appealing to more casual users who enjoy strenuous day hikes or overnight trips but don’t need the features or battery life offered by Garmin. It could be considered to be an InReach Lite, providing a stripped back version of Garmin’s platform, forgoing tracking and weather to simply provide a solid messaging system for when phone signal is long gone.