The dog tracker doesn’t do much good once the signal is lost. This is a problem for people whose dog spends time outside of reliable cell coverage. Rural dog owners, hikers, hunters, ranching families, and people with dogs who find weak spots in fences all know this issue. GPS tracking seems great until the dog gets out and the map stops updating.
Fi is trying to solve this with fi ultra ($199), a dog tracker powered by T-Satellite with Starlink, LTE, and always-on GPS. The company says it is the first consumer wearable device powered by T-Satellite with Starlink, which uses satellite connectivity to keep dogs trackable in locations where traditional cellular coverage ceases to exist.
I have one in my hand and I’m running it on my puppy Charlie. However, this is not a full review yet. I didn’t have enough time under the circumstances to make that call. But so far, I’ve been impressed by the battery life, tracking speed, and, to my surprise, the clip attachment, which I was sure wouldn’t hold.
Spoiler alert: It is.
What is Fi Ultra?
extremely Fi has the latest dog tracker, and it’s a significant leap forward from the brand Series 3+ And Mini equipment. The big change is satellite connectivity. Ultra uses LTE when it’s available, and then automatically switches to T-Satellite with Starlink when cellular coverage is out of reach. No manual switching required.
It also uses dual-band L1/L5 GPS and keeps GPS always on. Faster, more consistent location updates are the key here. For a tracker to be useful, it needs to be updated before a loose dog can cover serious ground.
The tracker mounts with a universal integrated clip, so it can attach to a standard dog collar or harness. Dogs already wearing a Fi Series 3 or Series 3+ collar can snap the Ultra onto their existing collar setup.
key features
Obviously the notable feature is satellite tracking. Fai says that using the T-satellite with Starlink the Ultra can track a dog almost anywhere in the United States (no word on availability in other countries), including areas without cellular coverage. It also runs LTE, Bluetooth 5.4, and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi for local connectivity.
If you’re a hiker and plan to track your dog in the woods, keep in mind that the app requires cell service or Wi-Fi on your phone to work. So there are potential limitations. The tracker will continue to send data via satellite, but you won’t be able to retrieve it without service on your phone.
The Ultra also includes Safe Zone Alerts, Walk Tracking, Lost Mode, Search Party Alerts via nearby Fi users, and bundled support so it can work with existing Fi trackers on the same dog.
Then there’s Fi Callback, which is Fi’s sound-and-vibration recall feature. The device has a piezoelectric speaker and vibration motor with adjustable intensity and duration settings. Fi is clear that this is not a static electric shock system. It uses only sound and vibration.
One feature will not be live at launch. Fi has listed Safe Zone boundary sounds and vibration triggers as coming after launch, which I’m definitely looking forward to. Manual callback is for the birds.
Initial test with Charlie
Charlie has been my test dog so far, and Ultra has already answered some of my initial questions.
realtime tracking
The first thing on my list was tracking speed. So far, location updates have come quickly, and the app didn’t make me wait until the dog’s location stopped updating. This is a big part of whether a tracker feels useful in real life.
It doesn’t take much to begin with for a dog to become “too close” before it becomes “not helpful enough.” With Charlie, or when she’s not being the best girl, Chuck, a few seconds still mean the difference between here and way there.
battery life
Second was battery life. Fi claims 2 days of battery life for the Ultra, which is a big step up from the months-old battery claims on the Series 3+ and Mini. This compromise makes sense with always-on GPS and satellite-enabled connectivity, but it’s still something users have to think about.
Initially, I was impressed with how it ran, especially considering what the device is doing in the background. If you’re used to running a collar like Halo, this runs in the same ballpark for battery life. Simply plug it in when you go to bed and put it back on the collar in the morning.
attachment point
Which brings us to the clip. I’ll be honest: I didn’t believe it. I looked at the attachment and guessed that Charlie would loosen it on her first bird race. So far, he has not done so. It has held up through normal clutter, yard time, and daily use. I’m not ready to say it’s bombproof yet, but it’s already better than I expected.
what i like so far
extremely It seems like Fi created this tracker for dog owners who don’t live completely inside the coverage map. Satellite connectivity is the obvious attraction, but in daily use the always-on GPS may be equally important. Fast location data is what makes the tracker feel reliable.
I also like that Fi didn’t try to turn it into a correction collar. The callback feature gives owners sound and vibration tools, but it doesn’t step into e-collar territory. This keeps Ultra focused on tracking, protection and recall support rather than training enforcement.
And yes, I’m still surprisingly pleased with the clip. I expected this to be a weak point, and I love it when a product proves my assumptions wrong.
Potential Drawbacks
The biggest downside is the cost. Ultra is not a one-time purchase. For new users, the hardware is $199 plus a $20 activation fee, and the subscription runs $189 per year, per dog. Existing Fi members can add Ultra for a flat fee of $299, but anyone starting out fresh should pay close attention to the subscription cost before purchasing.
The second limitation is phone connectivity issues. Yes, Ultra can continue to send location data when the tracker leaves cellular coverage by switching from LTE to T-Satellite with Starlink. But the owner still needs a data connection on their phone to see updates in the Fi app.
For users relying on real-time tracking in remote locations, this is a worthwhile warning. The dog can still be tracked, but you may not see those updates unless your phone has service.
final first impression
For dog owners who spend time outside of reliable cell service fi ultra One of the more interesting trackers to land in a while. This is the biggest weakness of this category: connectivity.
So far, the Ultra has been fast, the battery life has been better than I expected, and the clip attachment has been super secure. This is a good start.
I’m curious to see how it actually performs when both my dog and my phone wander off the map. Will update you all when I try it thoroughly.
