Apple Enables Starlink Satellite Connectivity in iOS 18.3 Update

The collaboration with SpaceX and T-Mobile allows iPhones to send texts via satellite without needing to point at the sky, starting with a U.S.-based beta program.

• Apple's iOS 18.3 update introduces support for SpaceX's Starlink satellite network, expanding iPhone connectivity options beyond the existing Globalstar service.
• The feature, available initially to select U.S. users on T-Mobile, enables texting via satellite when cellular service is unavailable, with plans to include voice and data in the future.
• Unlike Apple's Globalstar-based Emergency SOS, Starlink allows automatic satellite connectivity without manually aiming the phone at the sky.
• The beta program currently supports iPhones running iOS 18.3, starting from the iPhone 14, and includes select Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel devices on T-Mobile.
• Elon Musk confirmed that Starlink's current generation supports medium-resolution images and audio, with future iterations planned to enable video streaming.

3 Articles

Forbes Lifehacker Hypebeast