Apple is working with SpaceX and T-Mobile to add support for the Starlink satellite internet network to the latest version of iOS 18.3 software for iPhones, according to Bloomberg sources. The beta version is also available to some users on Android 15.
Apple is working with SpaceX and T-Mobile to add support for the Starlink satellite internet network to the latest version of iOS 18.3 software for iPhones, according to Bloomberg sources. The beta version is also available to some users on Android 15.
Bloomberg reports, citing «people familiar with the matter,» that the companies have been testing iPhones with Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp.’s Starlink service. The latest iPhone software update, released on Monday, now supports the technology.
T-Mobile previously offered Starlink only as an option for Samsung Electronics Co. phones, such as the Z Fold and S24 models. Apple, meanwhile, already offers Globalstar Inc.'s service, which allows users to send texts and contact emergency services when they are out of cellular coverage.
T-Mobile has begun offering customers the opportunity to sign up for an early version of Starlink service, and this week the carrier added some iPhones as part of the beta testing. Elon Musk said in a comment that images, music, and podcasts should be supported by the current Starlink technology, with video support to be added in future updates.
«You’re in the T-Mobile Starlink beta. Now you can stay connected via satellite text messaging from virtually anywhere. To start using coverage outside your home, please update your iOS to version 18.3,» the beta testers were told. Users of the app have received a new toggle in the Cellular settings on their iPhone to control the satellite feature.
T-Mobile has also opened up access to the beta to some users running Android 15, the latest version of Google’s mobile OS.
When a T-Mobile iPhone is in a cell-free zone, devices that are part of the Starlink program will first attempt to connect to SpaceX satellites. Users will also be able to activate text messaging through the satellite menu for Globalstar service or contact emergency services through Apple.
The initial version of Starlink is designed solely for text messaging. But SpaceX and T-Mobile have said they plan to expand it to data and voice calls in the future. The program is also currently only available in the United States. This contrasts with Apple’s Globalstar service, which operates in several countries.
SpaceX is looking to expand Starlink to other operators around the world. Earlier, Kyivstar CEO Oleksandr Komarov said that on December 30, 2024, «it has every chance of getting into the history books of Ukrainian telecom development» by signing an agreement with Starlink to implement Direct to Cell in Ukraine.
There’s another significant difference between Globalstar and Starlink. Apple’s current feature requires users to point their iPhone at the sky to find a satellite. Instead, Starlink’s option works automatically — even when the phone is in the user’s pocket.
It was previously reported that SpaceX is preparing to expand the coverage of the Starlink Internet by launching beta testing of Direct to Cell (DTC) satellites. They will allow smartphones to connect to mobile Internet services from almost anywhere on Earth.
The Starlink constellation currently consists of nearly 7,000 satellites in low Earth orbit. These satellites provide high-speed internet to over 4.6 million people in over 118 countries on every continent. SpaceX launches batches of 20+ Starlink satellites each week, each containing multiple Direct to Cell satellites.
