It’s not hard to gin up a circumstance where a lack of cell phone reception could be the difference between life and death, if you leave your mind to wander. I’m out in the desert and get bit by a snake; I’m on my way through the Rockies to grandma’s house for Christmas and the car breaks down; we’re hungry, but the kids will literally murder me if they don’t get Domino’s for dinner. (Okay, the last one’s a little bit of a stretch.)
It’s not necessarily your cell phone’s fault. Your iPhone depends on tiny gaps in its metal chassis to let its antennas reach the radio waves floating around; while the big telecom companies have done good work to blanket the world in 3G and 4G (and soon, 5G) coverage, sometimes, that wondrous little computer in your pocket just needs a little help finding signal. Especially if you’re in the sort of far-out places where you might wind up when you’re behind the wheel.
Luckily, there’s a way to help your phone reach out and touch those towers: a signal booster. By using a larger secondary antenna to capture more radio waves, it gives your phone added ability. (Think of it as a more attractive version of those giant antennas old cell phones used to have.)
The SureCall N-Range 2.0 uses a slim shark fin antenna that mounts magnetically to the top of your car’s roof, which then routes its signal through a cable to a cradle that sits on your dash. You can leave it on the car, or just rig it up when your phone need a little extra help. It pumps up the power for voice calling, text messages and 3G and 4G LTE data alike, so no matter what you need your phone for, it’s got your back.
Best of all, it’s on sale. Normally the N-Range 2.0 runs you $200, but it’s 25 percent off right now, so you can grab it on Amazon for just $150. Considering it might save your life one day, it’s worth throwing it in your glove box at the very least.
