Which Iridium Satellite Phone Have I Got?
Iridium have made a number of upgrades to their portable satellite phones. Here, we provide you with a summary of their features and benefits to help you work out which handset you have.
Motorola 9500 (1998-2001)
Motorola 9500
The first Iridium wireless satellite phone to provide complete global coverage...
Main Features
- Handset weighs 16.5oz
- Battery life of 16 hours on standby
- Talk time of 2 hours
- Data (Internet) capabilities when purchased with a data kit
- Plastic flap to cover keypad
- Volume keys on left hand edge
- SIM card eject button on right hand edge
- Extendible antenna (doubles length of phone when extended)
Pro's & Con's
- Plastic casing is slightly brittle
- Whole credit card size SIM card slots into bottom
- Bulky design - won't fit into an average pocket for example!
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Motorola 9505 (2001-2004)
Motorola 9505
Slightly smaller and lighter than it's predecessor...
What's New?
- Handset weighs 14.5oz
- Battery life of 20 hours on standby
- Talk time of 2 hours
- Black RS232 data adapter needed for data (Internet) compatibility
- Infra-red Port on left hand edge
- Headset jack for hands-free use
- Extendible 9.5 inch antenna
- Reads 'Motorola' below the screen
Pro's & Con's?
- Slightly more weather resistant
- Again fairly chunky, especially with antenna retracted - still won't fit in your pocket!
- Antenna is stowed behind the unit, and rotates above to extend
- Iridium Accessories not compatible with Iridium 9505a
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Iridium 9505a (2004-2008)
Iridium 9505a
Iridium 9505a succeeded the 9505 in December 2004...
What's New?
- Handset weighs 14.5oz
- Battery life of 20 hours on standby
- Talk time of 2 hours
- Grey RS232 data adapter needed for data (Internet) compatibility
- New 7mm power jack to replace Infra-red Port
- New battery - this must be installed in order to power the phone
- New power charger
- Reads 'Iridium' below the screen
Pro's & Con's?
- Largely the same as previous model
- Iridium Accessories not compatible with Iridium-Motorola 9505
- No more compact than previous model
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Iridium 9555 (2008-present)
Iridium 9555
Arguably the best handheld satellite phone on the market!
What's New?
- Handset weighs just over 9oz
- Battery life of up to 30 hours standby
- Talk time up to 3.1 hours
- Mini-USB data port for connecting up to the Internet
- 30% smaller handset with antenna stowed inside the phone
- Reads 'Iridium' above the screen
Pro's & Con's?
- Easier to carry around - far more compact
- Integrated speakerphone
- Can become unwieldy to use with everything attached (Iridium external antenna, data cable, hands free etc)
- Overall a much improved, slimmer, sleeker handset!
The Iridium 9555 comes with AC/DC chargers, international plug kit, hands-free headset, leather case, USB data cable and user guide.
Buy an Iridium 9555 online now!
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Summary
These satellite phones are great for anyone who is out of mobile/cell phone coverage, they provide completely global coverage so you'll still get a signal even when in the middle of the ocean!
Iridium portable satellite phones provide all the convenience of a mobile phone, so that you're never more than a quick call away from anyone, anywhere.
