Apple and SpaceX Collaborate to Provide iPhone Starlink Satellite Connectivity | Beta Testing Starts

Apple and SpaceX Collaborate to Provide iPhone Starlink Satellite Connectivity

Apple has partnered with SpaceX to deliver the Starlink network to the iPhone, similar to the Emergency SOS via Satellite capability. The Emergency SOS by Satellite function on the iPhone, which enables users to contact emergency services without cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity, will function similarly to the Starlink network. Currently under beta testing, the service will first allow messaging but will eventually add data and phone calls. This project is supported by the most recent iPhone models, including the iPhone 16, and Apple intends to roll it out later this year with the Apple Watch Ultra.

iPhone and Starlink Satellite Connectivity

The Starlink network is coming to the iPhone, according to a recent report by Mark Gurman of Bloomberg. It is said to function similarly to the iPhone’s Emergency SOS via Satellite feature, which allows users to contact emergency services when there is no cellular network or Wi-Fi connection.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX, the business behind the Starlink satellite network, and a US telecom operator have joined forces with the Cupertino-based tech startup to launch beta testing.

iPhone Satellite Connectivity Launched in 2022

In 2022, Apple launched the Emergency SOS via Satellite function in the US and Canada with the iPhone 14 models. Apple said that although it provides cellular connectivity using one of Globalstar’s 24 low-Earth orbit satellites, the Starlink arrangement is also expected to provide the same capabilities. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg noted in a report that it will only be available in the United States and will be introduced as a substitute for the company’s internal service.

It will just allow texting at first, but it will eventually be extended to include data and voice calls as well. The iPhone manufacturer has teamed up with T-Mobile for its deployment, and the service is already accessible in beta. On some iPhone models, users may apparently register to receive an “early version” of the Starlink service.

Gurman claims that the most recent iPhone models, including the iPhone 16, support this program at the moment, and Apple intends to include it into the Apple Watch Ultra later this year.

The most recent iOS 18.3 update, which was made available on Monday, is claimed to have added this feature to the iPhone. It has been reported that a limited number of iPhone owners who use T-Mobile as their carrier have gotten the following message:

“You’re in the T-Mobile Starlink beta. You can now stay connected with texting via satellite from virtually anywhere. To start experiencing coverage beyond, please update to iOS 18.3.”

T-Mobile iPhone models that are a part of the initiative and at a place without cellular access will initially attempt to couple with SpaceX satellites, according to Gurman. Users of iPhones will also be able to call emergency services through Apple and allow messaging through Globalstar.

Additionally, the Starlink service is said to function automatically, unlike the current Emergency SOS via Satellite needs people to aim their phone toward a satellite.