DeLorme surprised a lot of us last Friday afternoon, announcing the DeLorme inReach 2-way GPS communicator. This morning they’ve let us in on a few more details. You can hit that link for the full story, but here are some quick highlights…
- The release date is slated for October
- Price is around $250 (I’m assuming that’s MSRP); $100 more than the SPOT Connect – a reasonable premium for two-way messaging capability
- You’ll be able to pair the basic $9.95/month safety plan with a pay as you go option for extra messages and tracking
- The device is IPX7 waterproof
- It will support alkaline, lithium, and NiMH AA batteries
- Early battery testing shows the ability to send messages for up to seven days
- The device will report speed, heading, and elevation with each track or message that it transmits
- You will be able to send or receive messages to and from other inReach users – assuming positions can be displayed on a map, that’s like having a Garmin Rino with unlimited range!
- Initial development is for the DeLorme PN-60w and Android, but the company is interested in extending support to iOS, Windows Phone 7, and Blackberry
- It looks like the device will come bundled with DeLorme Topo USA at no additional cost
- They are working to make all DeLorme map and imagery types available via the Android app
About Rich Owings
“that’s like having a Garmin Rino with unlimited range!”
This new product is compelling especially for people typically outside the range of cell reception when recreating. One big difference between the new Rino series and the InReach is the cost of subscription. But for me, having unlimited range and capabilities to reach anyone anywhere, may be worth that cost.
Yep. I think we’re both part of their “target market.”
Why cant someone offer this with a one time fee? I wont pay for a subscription for something I will likely never use. I would gladly pay per use though..
As we see more of these devices, you’ll likely see more variation in service plans, but people generally don’t buy a $250 device and not plan on using it.