And for your mapping, I highly recommend instead the Gaia GPS or CalTopo apps. The weather forecasts are pulled from Dark Sky, which is an Apple product that poorly predicts mountain weather. But, honestly, I recommend that you get this data from elsewhere.
The Mobile App has some weather and mapping features. It doesn’t beep or vibrate, and it has just one external white-only LED light with three blinking patterns (for on, pairing, and tracking modes). The device gives little indication about its operations. To type, send, receive, and read text messages, the device must be paired with a smartphone. Tracking can be initiated by rapidly pressing the on/off button three times. The original unit (and my review unit) was dark blue/light blue it was updated to black/blue in spring 2021, but otherwise is the same as the original.Īn emergency message can be sent using the dedicated button, which is protected well by a cap. When bouncing back and forth between civilization and the wilderness, as you might do on a thru-hike and as I do while guiding, text conversations do not get disjointed when the connection changes.Īs a standalone unit, the Somewhere is physically appealing, being palm-sized and only 4.0 oz (113 grams).
The Somewear Mobile App also transmits texts over cell service or WiFi, making for a seamless messaging experience (and also saving money, because this data is run through your phone provider, not against your Somewhere service plan). Custom, by pairing your smartphone to the device with the Somewear Mobile App.Location tracking, using the power button on the device.SOS, using a dedicated physical button on the device.Three types of messages can be sent with the Hotspot: It felt significantly faster than my inReach Mini, which I was using simultaneously for inReach-to-inReach conversations with other guides who were in the field. I found the messaging experience to be remarkably zippy - when I had good signal strength (conveniently displayed by the app in the upper-right corner), messages were sent and received with a short delay, usually seconds, sometimes a few minutes. The device uses the Iridium network, which has truly global coverage. Review: Somewear Global HotspotĪt its core, the Somewear Global Hotspot is a two-way satellite messenger, capable of both sending and receiving texts in areas without cell service. The app also transmits over cell and wifi, making for a seamless messaging experience when bouncing in and out of the backcountry. When paired with the Somewear Mobile App, the Hotspot is a two-way satellite messenger. But competitors have emerged, thankfully, and it’s helping to keep prices down, drive product innovation, and perhaps improve customer service.įor nearly three weeks this spring I used the Somewear Global Hotspot ($280, 4 oz/113 grams), one of these newer devices, while guiding trips in southern Utah, giving me an opportunity to test its reliability and features, and to better understand how it compares to other units like the inReach Mini, Zoleo, Spot X, Spot Gen4. For years Garmin has dominated the satellite messaging category with its family of inReach devices.
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