BIG NEWS - Is This the End of the Motorola Defy Satellite Link?
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- Опубликовано: 28 янв 2024
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The Bullit Group, who sell the Motorola Defy Satellite Link, just laid off 100 works and it looks like they are over. Will the remaining stakeholder be able to keep the Motorola Defy alive?
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5 April 2024 Update from Bullit:
We would like to confirm that the the Bullitt Satellite Messenger service is live and fully operational. Since being acquired in February 2024 by RCD 2023 Limited (a UK registered company), the service has continued without interruption and continues to be the world’s leading direct to device NTN messaging service.
As part of our investment, RCD is very pleased to confirm that it will honour the service agreements and data plans for the thousands of existing subscribers who signed up to the Bullitt Satellite Messenger service prior to April 3rd 2024. From April 3rd 2024, the following price plans will be immediately available to all new subscribers with others to follow:
SOS satellite assist only - $4.99 per month
Everyday messaging (up to 80 messages per month) - $9.99 per month*
Premium messaging (up to 300 messages per month) - $29.99 per month*
Freedom (unto 250 messages per year) - $59.99 as one off annual payment*
*All messaging plans include SOS Satellite assist. Further information on data plans can be found on the bullitt.com website. For more information in other currencies please see website.
The following devices are and remain compatible with the Bullitt Satellite Messenger service:
Cat S75
motorola defy satellite link
Ulefone Armour 23.
We are pleased to announce that we are also working closely with a number of other device manufacturers to add NTN messaging capability to their product portfolios through 2024 and beyond.
Please note that RCD is not a device manufacturer and our customer support centre is only able to help with enquires regarding the SOS or satellite messaging service. Please also note that the promotional offer of 12 months free of charge SOS assist and basic messaging previously offered when purchasing a Cat S75 or motorola defy satellite link expired on 30th December 2023. Anyone purchasing an NTN satellite compatible device from April 3rd will require a data plan to enjoy satellite connectivity.
Aside from the continued support for existing customers, RCD has committed to make significant investment to add new features and capabilities to the service and platform over the coming months ensuring that Bullitt Satellite Messenger sets the gold standard for Mission and Business critical NTN comms.
We are in the final stages of testing for a new tracking feature and portal and this update will be released in the coming weeks. As early as June, we will be launching Bullitt Satellite Messenger for Business providing SME’s and channel resellers the ability to manage their services, accounts and billing all in one place via the Bullitt For Business Portal. We will also be Launching Bullitt Satellite For Enterprise an SDK and NTN Connectivity platform enabling developers and Enterprises to add NTN connectivity to an existing application or solution to support both mission critical comms and NTN NBIoT.
There will be lots more updates on our website over the next few weeks.
I was just compareing this item to a Zoleo, trying to work out TCO for first year and beyond for a part time use device (about 5mo per year) would you still recomend the Motorola or the Zoleo at this time? Canada is my local
@@justsumdad3185 If the coverage map works for you in Canada, the Motorola is probably a more economical
Timely. I was just about to pick one up. Appreciate you and your videos Cris.
Same here!!
This is a bummer. I have one and the plans and device have been perfect for me. From what I can see so far, there is no direct competitor to how cheap the plans were. Looked at Zoleo, Garmin, ACR, and all have ridiculously convoluted plans. They needed competition like this!
Dang it, I was really considering it once tracking would have gone into production. Garmin needs competition to change up their old school platform.
this info comes just in time. I wanted to buy two of them. thanks Hiking guy.
I just bought one today and set it up just fine .
but for how long ....... for how long @@beararms6945
Thank you for "JUST IN" up-to-date information!
Thank you for posting this as my return window ends tonight.
thank you very valuable information. It is just too bad I just thought about picking one up. Garmin option is just bit too expensive
Bought one in November, and was really happy to see it was a good purchase based on your experience. In my case, I was not able to use it yet as it had not connection in my area, but was hoping to use in my US hiking trips. Return window expires on February 2nd, so I think I will return it and see what happens in the future. I will feel that I was lucky to see this update, until I receive my refund from Amazon. But thank you for the information.
Very valuable information! Hiking Guy rules! 🤙🏻
thank you!
Thanks for the info bought one last month
I was always worried about the licensing of the Motorola name. I know it did well to get them a lot of attention, but they must have had large fees to pay. My only hope is that Motorola themselves considers taking over Defy in a meaningful way. I think if they do, we'll see a good product in a year of so.
Saw it at the at&t store considering buying it. Hopefully it stays active.
Thank you. This explains why they would never respond to my request to downgrade my plan.
Glad I didn't grab one of these last year. As much as Garmin's UI frustrates me; they're still the gold standard for SOS satellite communications.
Minus the high subscription
Since I have one of these and got it with a one year includes price, I hope they keep it going for a little longer.
Since I take my PLB with me as a backup, it wouldn't be great if it stopped working but I have a backup just in case.
The 2024 phones are coming out with satellite SOS service . Might be worth looking into before purchasing these devices. I appreciate your reviews on the product, came close to buying one.
Wow. Excellent example of "too good to be true".
I came back to this video to see if you had any further information? Today my device wouldn't connect to the satellite, and their website is down.
Thanks for all your information!
On a P,S. What other satellite SOS services does overwatch work with? I bought a year subscription to their insurance. Not sure if That's the right word for it or not.
Thanks again.
PPS now the website seems to be working.
That's a bummer. Bought one in August and have been using it 3-4x a month when I go hiking. It's been working great.
What are you looking to move to now? I'm having a hard time finding anything comparable.
It's not going anywhere it was just obtained by visat and the plans have been made cheaper
@@beararms6945- Where did you see this?
Hey man! Thanks so much for your great videos. I'm in the market for a satellite communicator myself, and the ACR Bivy Stick in particular caught my eye. It seems a great device and I was wondering if you may be planning to review it. The plans seem reasonable and easy to start/stop as needed for seasonal use. Thanks!
I've heard okay things about it and tried one a while ago but didn't have a great experience, so just focusing on the units that I think work best for me.
Okay, thanks!
I have decided to take advantage of the uncertainty and bought one through Amazon for a much reduced price in the UK. (£125 instead of £159). I reckon the worst that can happen is they only support it for 12 months, which means even if it becomes a brick at that point, it will still be the cheapest basic package available. I think with so many sold there will be enough incentive for the units to continue to be supported albeit with an increase in the subscription charges. But as I say, if they stop supporting the Defy after 12 months use I will have not really lost out at just over £10 a month total cost.
Actually the worse that could happen is that they simply don't honor the contract, service is stopped well before 12 months and, at best, you _might_ get a couple of dollars back after a few years.
@@ToddCopeland It is likely that the £59.99 *contract" portion of the purchase price will be honoured as the companies providing the satellite link and the SOS service are in a very healthy state. If the service companies were not getting paid I don't think we would be able to connect now. The problem will be if nobody takes on administration of the contracts as there will be no mechanism to extend them. I think if there had been a problem with the support companies getting paid the service would have stopped by now. I have the option of returning it to Amazon through to mid March. As most of the other services cost at least three times as much, the break even point will be half a year of service even if the unit becomes a brick at that point.
@@Gordonafloat we don't know the delay they has with the Sat company. It might have been month to month or quarter to quarter. The SOS service is completely different. That company simply receives the notice and reacts. No notice (via satellite, no reaction). If the amount they were charging covered their expenses they would not be in bankruptcy. I think the best bet is to have someone buy the company. However, even if that happened, once the contracts ran out, they could charge whatever they wanted. Personally, I'd have no issue paying something like $7-$10/month (as long as it could be cancelled and no reactivation fee).
@@ToddCopeland Agreed. I bought it rather than a PLB because if I ever had to press the SOS button I would like to be able to explain the situation to emergency services. I don't have family to pass regular messages to but in some kinds of non-life threatening emergencies it is useful to be able to message friends. This device fitted my exact needs so I have been happy to take the gamble. Hopefully I will never have to use it but obviously it has to be functional. If the Defy ends up being unsupported I will most likely opt for a PLB. It's worth the monthly charge you mention for occasional two-way communication in an emergency.
That stinks! I was really hoping that product was going to succeed.
Monday, January 29th: Thanks for the info. I have always been a Garmin person (worth the cost for me). I agree there are other good alternatives, but Motorola (IMHO) has never been one of them.
I found it worked well and rarely had any connection issues, but overall the Garmins have the more mature backbone and set up. I wouldn't say the demise of the company necessarily had to do with the performance of the unit though. Hard to know from the outside.
Thanks for the information so far.
Do you know anything more about what will happen next with the Mototrola Defy Satellite Link?
Have not heard anything
Apparently the customer accounts and assets have been sold. There are a bunch of different companies under Bullitt, and not all went into bankruptcy. That and new ones were formed in December of last year. The 1 month the founders put up to keep it running is over, so something is keeping it afloat. Time will tell if this is a good sign or not.
I'll stick with my Garmin 67i. The UI is a pain and outdated, but I've been using Garmin devices for over 20 years. They just work and gets me home safe every time.
Shame i have been using this for 6 months no problems like you say fingers crossed.
Well this is not so good info, bought one in August 2023. :/ Heard about the CAT going down, didn't think that it had anything to do with the Bullitt Group. No refunds, I guess. Have connectect to the satellites here and there, always had quite solid connection even in dense woods. I really wish some other company would take over, the pricing was solid, I would be happy to pay it year after year even with minimal usage.
Many thanks for the information. Didi you get any update on this ? I'm looking a solution for my outdoor activities in ther Alps (hiking, mountainering). I wonder if the Defy could be the solution when being in deep valley with high mountains around. Would you recommand this solution or what would be your choice ? Thanks
I haven't heard anything - the safer bet would be to go with an inReach device like the Mini 2 - amzn.to/4bUWgZN
@@Hikingguy many thanks. I will follow your advice
Parę dni temu kupilem i teraz czekam na dostawę. Po przeczytaniu Twojej wiadomości zastanawiam się co zrobić. Zwrócić, czy zostawić. Klienci to największa wartość każdej firmy. Mam nadzieję, że inna firma przejmie obsługę Moto Defy Satellite Link.
Napisalem do wsparcia Bullitt, ale jeszcze nie otrzymalem odpowiedzi na moje pytania. Może już nie dostanę.
Pozdrowienia z Polski.
Sad! I just bought a Defy and paid for a subscription! I hope they can saved this valuable device and keep it affordable as was advertised before!😥
I tried it yesterday and its still working for me.
I purchased a MOTOROLA communicator. Motorola should be on the hook for this!
I've been on the fence on purchasing this. So it seems a time to not do this. Though from other reviews via RUclips, including yours
and even on Amazon, seems at best that 50% like it. I am sure you will have updates as these become available.
Tried mine yesterday and it's still working but I wouldn't buy it now. The company is not around anymore and I think the infrastructure is still in place.
I just bought this and missed the return window. But I can't find anything showing this company is going out of business. Where did you get this news.
From the company employees. The stakeholders are keeping it afloat for now in hopes of putting something new together.. www.gizmochina.com/2024/02/01/bullitt-group-cat-phones-and-motorola-goes-bankrupt/
@@Hikingguythat is some good news hopefully they put something together, I would like to get one. Subscription is priced affordable
I posted on the social post, but I'll post it here again. I've had multiple Motorola smart phones over the years, none of them got more than 1 update for the entire life of the device. Motorola just doesn't seem to push updates or have a long lifespan for their devices. It wouldn't surprise me if they just didn't care, but maybe they'll do something. My gut says motorola is only on the hook for the hardware inside the device (transmitter and receiver)
Motorola had nothing to do with this device. They simply licensed their name to be used by Bullitt to brand the device as Motorola.
I just bought one 10 days ago. I can try to get a refund, but I’m wondering if you think it is worthwhile to hang in there and see if someone will take over the Bullitt app. And if no one does, it does that mean that after my one year trial period, the thing is basically useless?
I wish I could give you a definitive answer on the future, but I have not idea. I'd return it. You can always buy another one if things change.
Thanks Cris. I have returned the Defy. Good ol' Amazon! Now I need to decide: Messenger or InReach Mini 2 ... I dislike the Garmin subscription stuff but that's how it goes. Seems like the big advantage of Mini 2 over Messenger is the satellite-aware location sharing. Messenger offers backtrack and texting too. Alltrails Premium has downloadable maps. If I don't care about location sharing if no cell signal, does Messenger make sense or am I missing something? (My equipment is Alltrails premium on iPhone 7+ and paper maps backups). Thanks!@@Hikingguy
@@Hikingguybought mine at Amazon for $114.99. it's coming in Tuesday I guess this will be my quickest return ever.
any news to this and what will happen to DEFY in the near future?
Nothing yet, will post as soon as I hear any news
It seems unscrupulous for sellers of these devices to continue to sell them under the circumstances. Or at least not disclose the status of the Bullitt service. I also question why this information about the precarious financial condition of Bullitt is not so easy to find. Thank you for posting. I bought my Defy in December and only activated it February 3 2024. I bought it from REI so, due to their generous return policy, I should be able to get a refund. Still, I don't understand why these are still offered for sale.
Agreed. I hope it is because Motorola is trying to figure something out, and not just ignorance on the part of companies who are blindly selling them. I mean these large companies have to know by now right?
Yea I was wondering the same thing. The only thing that I can think of is that the other stakeholders (Skylo, Motorola, Overwatch x Rescue) are trying to find a way to keep it alive. I got the impression that all the layoffs were a big surprise and the plan was to have a creditor take over the business. Will post here as soon as I hear anything.
Did they cover Russia , China and other ? On the map its in grey color but if it using Inmarsat satellite in think they work in these country
It's not just the tech coverage but also the logistical coverage. Just the orange parts of the map
Well, crap. Bought one around Thanksgiving when it was on sale at Costco but haven’t actually used it yet.
Costco will take it back no questions. Explain the situation, shouldn’t be a problem.
Well that didn't last long
yep, like 6 months...
Visat just obtained the company, these aren't going anywhere
That would be great news I know viasat merged with inmarsat last year , do you have a link to any articles showing they have obtained Bullitt ?
Can you share a link? Not seeing it anywhere and folks I know there haven't heard that
What a mess
Bought this unit for our son-in-law in July 2023…he tried unsuccessfully to use it in his team’s trans Atlantic row (Dec12, 2023-Jan22, 2024). They are Army Rangers…they adapted, improvised, and successfully completed the row…mission success! More than can be said for the Defy.
We purchased the Motorola Defy from REI…hopefully we can return it for a full refund.
It doesn’t cover the Atlantic anyway, just check their coverage map. You need an Iridium device (like Garmin inReach) for guaranteed whole world coverage. No need for your rangers to improvise if they just could read an instruction manual 😅
😂@@FlyWithMe_666
@@FlyWithMe_666 "The most difficult part of fighting Americans is they can't be bothered to read their own manuals and doctrines"
Motorola has been a joke for decade and I just keeps going. Talk about fall of a once mighty company.
The name and tech were sold to a chicom entity, same as other great American enterprises like Lenovo and budweiser.
It's just soulless globalist companies wearing America like a severed face mask.
You need to pay attention, Motorola didn't go out of business. Bullitt did.
@@edwardbenton4428 Who said they did? They were top company in the world and are now a shell of that looking for a purpose.
Motorola is not really Motorola anymore. Also, it's not clear to me that Motorola has anything at all to do with the Defy device other than licensing their name and logo. What has Catapiller got to do with the Cat phone marketed by Bullitt? Nothing other than a licensing deal. For Catapillar, it was a bad decision that diminishes the name and reputation of a respected company. Someone in their marketing/licensing department should be reprimanded.
@@user-ic2bp3ss7m When your company was once great and is now irrelevant there is not much else you can do. It’s there?