I think the connect takes a bit more getting used to than an emergency product should have... but if it's important to you, you'll take the little time needed to get familiar with it. I'm stoked to check out the delorme & report back about what I think of it after a few excursions!
FYI, got a number of uses out of my new inreach, and wanted to comment:
about as much hassle to set up as the connect, but more friendly & useable interface to deal with. more full featured when attached to phone, but my main thing I like is that I can send my 3 messages without using the phone.
I carry the phone with me still, but in reality I never need it for check in's, so I know the battery will be good if I actually were in a situation, and needed to have a conversation with someone, or contact 911 with specifics.
My check in on sat, done without the phone.
https://enterprise.delorme.com/textmessage/viewmsg?mo=5341190c64fe4842b318a1a0cd8c72aa2312683
Got a killer deal on it from snowbigdeal... pretty stoked on the unit as is, only real complaint is perhaps the cost of the service IF you care about tracking, which I don't, so it's pretty close to the spot cost for me.
Edit:
One thing that should be mentioned from a rescue perspective, the map it's displayed on IMO is a decent step up from the google maps that spot uses. IMO this map gives someone a better interface to figure out where you're at (in terrain mod this is) than the spot setup. Also someone can send messages from that map page easily, so return contact is pretty simple. (I've got this disabled for my "OK" messages, so that people don't waste my airtime, but my "I need help" messages are set up so that you can respond.
