Apple and SpaceX teamed up to support Starlink satellite network on iPhone: what is known
Kyiv • UNN
Apple, SpaceX, and T-Mobile are working together to integrate Starlink satellite communications into iPhones via iOS 18.3. Beta testing has already begun in the US with a limited number of users.
Apple Inc. has been secretly working with SpaceX and T-Mobile US Inc. to add support for the Starlink network to its latest iPhone software, providing an alternative to the company's internal satellite communications service, Bloomberg reports, according to UNN.
Details
According to people with knowledge of the matter, the companies are testing iPhones with Elon Musk's Space Exploration Technologies Corp.'s Starlink service. The smartphone's latest software update, released on Monday, is said to now support the technology, which happened unnoticed.
This cooperation, as noted, came as a surprise: T-Mobile previously listed 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 offering, which allows consumers to send text messages and contact emergency services while out of cellular coverage.
T-Mobile has begun allowing customers to sign up for an early version of the Starlink service, and this week the carrier enabled a small number of iPhones as part of a beta test. In a post on X responding to the news, Musk said that images, music, and podcasts should be supported by the current Starlink technology, and future updates will also add video support.
The first users received text messages from T-Mobile that read: "You are in the T-Mobile Starlink beta program. Now you can stay in touch via text message via satellite from almost anywhere in the world. To start using coverage outside of this range, update to iOS 18.3." App users have a new switch in iPhone's cellular data settings to control the satellite feature.
An Apple spokesperson declined to comment, while T-Mobile said that testing "will begin with select optimized smartphones" and that the full launch "will support the vast majority of modern smartphones." T-Mobile also opened the beta to some users running Android 15, the latest version of Google's operating system. A SpaceX spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ever since Apple teamed up with Globalstar to offer satellite features in 2022, speculation has been rife about whether it might support competing networks. The day after Apple's 2022 announcement, Musk posted on X that his company was "in several promising conversations with Apple about Starlink connectivity.
The initial version of Starlink is exclusively for text messaging. But SpaceX and T-Mobile have said they plan to expand to data connections and voice calls in the future. The program is also only available in the US for now. This contrasts with Apple's Globalstar service, which operates in several countries. SpaceX is looking to expand Starlink to other operators around the world.
T-Mobile made an update to its website this week to let beta testers know that the iPhone is supported as part of the iOS 18.3 software release. The number of beta users is currently minimal, with T-Mobile planning to expand the program in February. In the iOS 18.3 announcement, Apple touted AI features and bug fixes, but did not disclose Starlink support.
SpaceX has requested permission to start beta testing the service on Monday. The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted SpaceX conditional approval for its satellites to supplement T-Mobile's cellular network in November.
