Fi launches satellite-enabled Ultra dog tracker
Bottom line
Fi has launched Fi Ultra, a new dog tracker it says is the first consumer wearable powered by T-Satellite with Starlink. The device adds satellite-based location reporting when a dog is outside traditional cellular coverage, while also using Bluetooth, Wi‑Fi, T-Mobile cellular, and GPS when those connections are available. Fi’s support materials say Fi Ultra automatically switches among those networks, and the company is positioning the product for dogs that travel in rural, backcountry, or other off-grid settings. Pricing reported at launch was $199 for hardware, with Fi membership required for connectivity. (support.tryfi.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the launch is another sign that companion-animal wearables are moving beyond step counts and geofencing into more persistent remote monitoring infrastructure. Fi has already been expanding its broader wearable footprint and international reach, and a tracker that stays connected beyond cell towers could matter for working dogs, highly active dogs, and pet parents who hike, camp, or live in remote areas. It also reinforces how consumer pet tech is borrowing capabilities first developed for human mobile and safety markets. (blog.tryfi.com)
What to watch: Watch for whether Fi expands Ultra beyond the U.S., how reliably satellite fallback performs in real-world use, and whether rivals respond with similar off-grid tracking products. (support.tryfi.com)
Fi is pushing pet wearables into new territory with the launch of Fi Ultra, a dog tracker that uses T-Satellite with Starlink when cellular coverage drops away. Fi says the product is the first consumer wearable built on that satellite-to-cell platform, giving dogs location reporting in places where traditional LTE-based pet trackers would typically lose connection. The launch was announced July 8, 2026, and positions Fi squarely at the intersection of companion-animal technology and the fast-growing direct-to-device satellite market. (tomshardware.com)
The backdrop is a pet-tracking category that has largely depended on ground-based carrier networks. Fi’s prior products used terrestrial connectivity, and its own help center shows a network split across carriers: Fi Series devices on AT&T, Fi Mini on Verizon, and Fi Ultra on T-Mobile. In parallel, Fi has been broadening its business footprint, recently saying its devices now reach 38 countries across North America and Europe. That expansion suggests the company was already building toward a larger connectivity story before introducing a satellite-enabled flagship. (support.tryfi.com)
According to Fi’s support documentation, Ultra supports four connection modes: Bluetooth, Wi‑Fi, T-Mobile cellular, and satellite. When Bluetooth and Wi‑Fi are unavailable and cellular coverage is absent, the device switches to T-Satellite with Starlink for location reporting. Fi says the app shows a satellite icon when that link is active, and directs customers to T-Mobile’s coverage map to distinguish cellular areas from satellite-only zones. In other words, the product isn’t replacing terrestrial connectivity so much as adding a fallback layer for dogs that move beyond it. (support.tryfi.com)
Launch coverage adds more product detail. Tom’s Hardware reported that Fi Ultra combines satellite connectivity with dual-band GPS, real-time in-app location updates, safe-zone alerts, a haptic motor, a speaker, and a two-day battery life, with IP68 and IP66K water-resistance ratings. Fortune reported launch pricing of $199 for hardware plus Fi’s existing membership plan, and described the product as aimed at closing a longstanding gap in pet wearables: what happens when a dog runs past the last cell tower. (tomshardware.com)
Industry reaction so far has centered less on veterinary medicine than on connectivity and category differentiation. Fi founder and CEO Jonathan Bensamoun told Fortune that the main limitation in existing trackers is reliance on LTE, while Fi said in launch messaging that Ultra extends its safety mission to “every corner of the country.” Those comments fit a broader telecom narrative: T-Mobile markets T-Satellite with Starlink as a direct-to-cell service powered by more than 650 satellites, and Starlink’s business materials explicitly frame direct-to-cell as a path to broader IoT connectivity outside terrestrial coverage. (fortune.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, Fi Ultra is noteworthy not because it changes clinical care overnight, but because it shows the pet wearable market continuing to mature into a more durable data and safety platform. A tracker that remains reachable in remote areas could be relevant for sporting, hunting, ranch, search-and-rescue, and adventure-travel dogs, as well as for pet parents in rural communities. It may also raise expectations for continuous monitoring more broadly, especially as companies layer location, activity, sleep, and behavior signals into a single subscription product. Fi’s existing product ecosystem already includes activity, sleep, and behavior tracking, so Ultra could strengthen the company’s ability to keep pet parents inside that connected-health stack. (blog.tryfi.com)
There are still practical constraints. Fi’s own materials note that coverage maps are only general guides, and the product’s satellite mode is framed around location reporting rather than a wider set of always-on communications features. Battery life, subscription cost, and real-world performance under tree cover, terrain obstruction, or heavy use will likely shape adoption as much as the Starlink branding. For clinics and veterinary teams, that means the device is best understood today as a premium safety and monitoring tool for specific use cases, not a universal standard for every dog. (support.tryfi.com)
What to watch: The next signals will be customer field performance, any expansion of Ultra into Fi’s growing international markets, and whether competitors such as Tractive or Garmin move to add their own satellite fallback options as direct-to-device networks mature. (fortune.com)