Fi's New Dog Tracker Works Anywhere, Even When Cell Service Doesn't

Fi has launched the Fi Ultra, a dog tracker that can pinpoint your dog's location even in remote areas where cell towers don't reach. It does this by switching automatically to satellite signals—specifically, T-Mobile's T-Satellite service, which uses Starlink's network of satellites orbiting Earth.

How it works: The Fi Ultra first tries to send your dog's location over normal cellular networks, the same way older Fi trackers do. When cell service drops, the device automatically switches to satellite without any action required from you. That means your dog stays trackable whether it's in the suburbs or miles into backcountry terrain across the continental US.

The Battery Tradeoff

There is a catch. The Fi Ultra's battery lasts roughly two days per charge, compared to two weeks to three months for Fi's older models. Satellite radios use significantly more power than cellular chips, so maintaining that backup connection drains the battery much faster. For a dog that rarely leaves your neighborhood, this daily charging might feel unnecessary. For owners whose dogs spend time in remote areas—hunters with working dogs, hikers on trails, people with dogs prone to bolting—that frequent charging is part of the deal they're making for reliable coverage everywhere.

Features Beyond Just Location

The tracker includes a "callback" system that vibrates and beeps to call your dog back to you remotely, independent of where you are. If your dog goes missing, you can activate "Lost Mode" from the Fi app, which makes the tracker report its location more frequently and can alert other Fi users nearby to look for that specific signal—similar to how Apple's Find My network works. Fi plans to add geofence alerts (notifications when your dog crosses a boundary) in a future update.

The Fi Ultra works with standard dog collars and harnesses rather than requiring Fi's own built-in collar design, making it easier to add to whatever collar your dog already wears.

Cost and Availability

A new Fi Ultra costs $199 for the device itself, plus a $20 activation fee and $189 per year for the subscription that covers connectivity and app access. If you already subscribe to Fi's older trackers, you can add an Ultra for $299 instead of the full new price. Fi offers a one-month free trial when you buy a device.

The Fi platform already tracks behavior like scratching and barking, monitors eating and drinking patterns, and uses AI to give you breed-specific health and behavior tips. The Ultra simply extends all of that tracking into places where the older models couldn't reach.

What This Means Broadly

The bigger picture here is that satellite connectivity, which started as a phone feature for emergencies in dead zones, is now spreading to other devices. T-Mobile licensing its satellite network to a pet tracker company signals that carriers see this as a general-purpose utility they can sell to many different kinds of hardware makers—not just phone makers. Other trackers for hikers, shipping containers, or livestock could follow a similar path, though that remains an open question.

For certain dog owners, the Fi Ultra solves a real problem: a working dog or an adventure dog that ventures beyond cell range now stays trackable. Whether daily charging is worth it depends almost entirely on how often your dog actually leaves areas with cell coverage. Most suburban owners will rarely face that choice.