If you do a lot of traveling to places where you find yourself "off the grid" regularly, or you are the sort of person who likes to go on adventures and need to be able to stay in touch when off the grid? Forget the smartphone. What you need is a satellite phone.
OK, a satellite phone might seem a little James Bond -- calling it a "sat phone" adds to the secret agent vibe -- but they are a lot of widespread and accessible than you might think, and there are several options available out there.
Note: A subscription is required to access a satellite network, and prices vary wildly depending on the network you use, what kind of service you need, and how long of a subscription you are taking out. Also note that prices are far higher than for cellular networks, and can reach eye-watering proportions.
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Garmin inReach
A handheld GPS receiver with a built-in satellite receiver that allows you to send and receive SMS messages via the Iridium network. Garmin actually makes a number of devices, from the simple Garmin inReach Mini[3] to the Garmin inReach Explorer+[4], which combines the Iridium features with a handheld GPS receiver loaded with topo maps.
Prices start at around $300 for a basic tracker.
SPOT
Another company that offers satellite trackers and messengers is SPOT. There's the SPOT X[6], which is a two-way device that looks a lot like an old Blackberry, the SPOT Gen3 Messenger[7], which allows the user to send check-in and SOS