HMD Global has announced the launch of the HMD OffGrid, a satellite communication device.
The gadget connects to your phone and, via an app, provides satellite messaging and emergency services.
HMD Global – the company best known for reviving the Nokia brand over the past few years – is venturing into uncharted territory. Announced at CES 2025, the HMD OffGrid is a new satellite tracker, designed to keep you connected when you’re out of range of terrestrial mobile phone networks.
The idea behind the device is to keep you in touch with loved ones, while also providing a route to emergency SOS services via satellite. Able to connect to the Viasat network, it will provide communications via satellite so you stay in contact from the most remote areas.
The HMD OffGrid connects to your smartphone via the OffGrid app, which is where you’ll control the device. You will need a subscription, but there's also an option for real-time tracking, so family can always see where you are on your wild adventures.
Via that app you’ll get access to messaging, as well as the ability to setup message and location sharing features which can be triggered via one button press on the device. There are also SOS services, powered by Overwatch x Rescue, with 24/7 emergency response services.
The HMD OffGrid itself is compact and protected to MIL-STD-810H standards, weighing just 60g. It comes with a claimed three-day battery life, but exactly how that’s measured we’re not quite sure If it’s in your bag and not doing anything, we’d hope it would last longer.
The HMD OffGrid will be available in the US, Europe, Australia and New Zealand later this month, with more regions expected to be added through 2025. The device itself costs £169, but the subscription you’ll need to access the services also need to be considered, with the brand offering a couple of different plans.
HMD isn’t the first to launch this type of device, but it is still a relatively small market. We’ve previously seen Motorola launch the Defy Satellite Link, a device very much in the same vein, designed to keep those working or playing outside of conventional phone networks.
While satellite communication is slowly being added to smartphones, the options are limited and mostly only cover emergency SOS functions. The appeal of an additional device is that you can get more messaging through a subscription plan, allowing you to share a little more information on a regular basis, without it triggering an emergency response.
Alternatively, there's the Garmin InReach devices, which bypass the need for a phone connection, allowing that communication from one device.
