HMD is bringing back one of 2023’s best lifesaving gadgets

By Joe Maring Published January 6, 2025

Human Mobile Devices, better known as HMD, is launching an interesting new gadget at CES 2025. No, it’s not a new smartphone. Instead, HMD is announcing the OffGrid — a small handheld gadget that adds satellite connectivity to virtually any smartphone.

After pairing the OffGrid to your Android phone or iPhone and downloading the OffGrid app, the device equips your smartphone with a few different features — including two-way messaging, locating sharing/live location tracking for up to five recipients, check-in messages, and SOS emergency services. The OffGrid allows all this to work via a satellite connection, meaning you can stay connected even when you’re out of range of your phone’s carrier.

In what scenario would you ever need the HMD OffGrid? HMD has a long list of examples it thinks the OffGrid would be useful for, such as road trips, outdoor sports, hiking/mountain climbing, sailing, etc. In other words, any situation where you need to communicate with friends, loved ones, or emergency services, but don’t have a reliable cell connection.

Texting, check-in messages, and location sharing are great features for peace of mind and safety. But what if you’re in trouble and need professional help? HMD has partnered with Overwatch x Rescue to offer 24/7 multilingual emergency services so you can request search and rescue teams. Hopefully, you’ll never need to use this part of the OffGrid, but it’s reassuring to know it’s there.

The HMD OffGrid weighs just 60 grams and measures 94mm by 60mm by 12mm. It can easily slip into a pocket or bag, and there’s a cutout near the top to attach it to a lanyard or backpack. It has an IP68 water resistance rating and an MIL-STD-810H military-grade durability rating. HMD says the battery lasts for up to three days on a single charge.

If this seems familiar at all to you, that’s because it sounds exactly like the Motorola Defy Satellite Link. Announced at Mobile World Congress in February 2023, the Motorola Defy Satellite Link had the same pitch: it was a pocketable gadget that connects to your phone via Bluetooth and enables satellite communication — perfect for when you need to get in touch with someone, but are out of range of regular cell towers.

We were pretty impressed with the Motorola Defy Satellite Link when we used it, but unfortunately, the company behind its satellite systems (Bullitt) went out of business, and the device is no longer available from Amazon, AT&T, and other retailers. It reportedly still works, but its long-term future is uncertain. The HMD OffGrid essentially does everything the Motorola Defy Satellite Link did, but with (hopefully) a brighter future ahead of it.

The HMD OffGrid costs $199 in the U.S. and, like most things in 2025, it comes with your choice of a couple of subscriptions. The two plans — HMD Freedom and HMD Unlimited — work out as follows:

Is the HMD OffGrid worth the upfront cost plus a recurring yearly or monthly fee after that? For some people, probably not. But if you often find yourself in the wilderness or in other situations without reliable cell service — and you need a way to stay connected — the OffGrid should be a reliable choice.

The HMD OffGrid will be released later this month and be available for purchase on HMD’s website.