I've been looking for a (singular) satellite communicator, and trying to decide which one to buy.  I like Garmin products, but stumbled across the Motorola Defy, and was surprised how cheap it is - so cheap, in fact, that I'm now thinking of buying multiple units for family member dispersed around the country.  It's hard to justify NOT having something like this for SHTF.  Even the basic service plan is free for the first 12 months, and only $5/month thereafter.

Does anyone own one of these?  Or a Garmin?  The battery life is not as good as the Garmin inReach Mini 2, but the price is right.

I bought a defy last year for the same reasons that you are loooking for.  I used and was happy with it.  Check out this video.
It may be a bust. Don’t know how to hot link.
https://youtu.be/umrd8AV9Gh4?feature=shared

Through google, as I did not know much about these, you may want to be careful and continue to research these:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/1ag8bmh/dont_buy_motorola_defy_satellite_link_right_now/?rdt=50996

I'll check out the link when I get home.  I read some reviews on Amazon, and many of them are negative.   The overall rating is poor.  It seems that the area coverage is grossly exaggerated.

I also learned that SpotX (attractive as being a stand-alone device) apparently won't receive messages in the presence of 5G.  5G has some kind of jamming effect on it.

I'm looking at Zoleo now.  It seems to be the most attractive option, but is spendier, both in up-front cost and service price per month.  It uses internet, cellular network or satellite (Iridium).

The advantage of having something like this in a disaster scenario, and receiving pertinent information from someone at a distant location, is incalculable.

I'll check it out when I get home - thanks.

I have two for off grid communications between devices so I can stay in touch with family, and I like them.

Though with satellite connectivity being integrated into most new flagship phones and starlink demonstrating direct to phone capability I don't know how long they will remain relevant. I am disappointed to hear Bullitt is now defunct, I hope that someone takes up the baton and keeps it going.  The price is much better than inreach, and message speed is apparently significantly faster on average than inreach devices, but IIRC inreach has better (global) coverage for now so depending on your use case might be better.

https://www.ar15.com/forums/outdoors/Yet-another-satellite-text-messenger-enters-the-market-Motorola-Defy/17-705429/

Thanks.  I vaguely remember that thread.

I wonder how many of those bad reviews I mentioned stem from a lack of awareness of where the geostationary satellite actually is (I was certainly ignorant of that).