TerreStar Genus: AT&T's first dual-mode cellular / satellite smartphone
By Darren Murph 
posted Sep 30th 2009 1:01PM
posted Sep 30th 2009 1:01PM
Welp, that didn't take long. Just a few months after TerreStar announced that it had completed its first call on the new bird, the revived sat phone provider has now announced the first dual-mode smartphone for AT&T. Granted, we knew these two would be holding hands in the near future, but it's still refreshing to see the Genus hit the landscape. The WinMo-based phone will ship with a 2.6-inch touchscreen, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS and GSM / GPRS / EDGE / UMTS / HSDPA radios. Oh, and it can tap into satellite waves too. This one's actually aimed at government, energy, utility, transportation and maritime users, and while it's slated to ship in Q1 2010 for an undisclosed amount, AT&T assures us that a consumer-oriented version is in the pipeline. Too bad this only enhances coverage in the US, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands and territorial waters -- we always dreamed of phoning home from Komsomolets Island.[Via phonescoop]
Wonder if it gets the same shitty service as the rest of the ATT line.
You can probably default it to the satellite signal to increase your reliability. lololololol
and your bill amount.
i bet the battery life sucks on this thing
too bad battery is likely to be horrible
also any word on additional cost to the end user for roaming on sats?
Just curious what limits this phone to the locations mentioned in the article. You can't really limit satellite access to specific parts of the northern hemisphere that face the satellite right?
Isn't that why you can access DirecTV in other countries (albeit illegally)?
They could use GPS to limit where you use it.. Much like the femtocell units do.
The GSM SIM lock limits this phone to AT&T. The satellite radio is not locked and can be used anywhere there is satellite coverage.
May be because your tiny phone needs to 'send' a signal too. For Satelite TV, all your gigantic antenna does is receiving signal from a satelite, so it may be able to catch very small signals, but when you need to send a signal to a satelite using a battery powered tiny antenna that also placed right next to your brain, it may not be practical to send signal strong enough.
@michas_pi
You won't be able to just switch carriers for sat service, either. The SIM authenticates to the sat network as well as the GSM network.
That also does not mean an Inmarsat or Thuraya SIM will work out of the box, either. Well, maybe the GSM side of Thuraya's roaming, but definitely not the satellite side of it.
Although I do question TerreStar's use of an IP-based satellite network and VoIP on the sat network side - isn't satellite data slow enough? Wouldn't VoIP lag like hell?
ATT has large business contracts with offshore companies that operate in the Gulf of Mexico. Many of these companies have to use specialized communication services to keep in contact with the main land. This phone by ATT will allow them to dump the old services they use offshore and consolidate.
A very smart business move by ATT.
This is not targeted for the regular users. The cost of using the satellite service will be much larger than any normal plan.
could there finally be a bill that can top iphone bill?
voice $39.99+
unlimited text $15+
data $30
sat communication $9000!!!!
It's not just $9000...it's over nine thousand!!! (sorry I had to do it :p) But seriously it wouldn't surprise me if it really was that expensive.
What did the scouter say about his iPhone bill? He said he couldn't pay it.
Damn I really need some reception in the Arctic Circle.
emplix in antarctica. wooo! All fun and games until someone loses a junk.
Awesome! Now I can get AT&T Service in New York City!
Damn Ruskies!
BTW - reported to cost between $800-900 unsubsidized:
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1556735/terrestar-genus-connect
how about CDMA/GSM dual mode?
finally .. you will have coverage on an AT&T phone..
but wait the call drop rate will go up to 50% as acceptable
So now Crack-berry assholes (you know who you are) can now ruin the commute for the people in the backwoods of Alaska now too!
Now what does this do for roaming charges?
This falls under the category BFD. they've been around for years and primarily are government users as the public is picking up the tab.
Until companies like AAPL buy a couple Sat's will there be any competition to lower the costs. Face it, the internet is struggling to keep up with the loads placed on it and no cures on the horizon is spite of all the PR mumbo jumbo.
This is a brand new satellite, the first of several new companies that will be bringing satellite coverage to the US. Harris is making the reflectors for all of them. MSV will be the next up.
And to the person asking about how they can limit where you use it, you only will be able to get a signal where they want you to get one. The reflector shape and electronic beam steering on the bus means that you won't be able to get a signal outside of the footprint of the reflector.
So how does this work? In order for sat cel to work, you pay extra?
haha that's a screenshot of 6.5!
So really it's a cellulite phone.
Would be perfect for USA/Canada border areas in Alaska, but alas, stupidity rules again, and you can't use it in Canada. Suck product.