In one of the major tech collaborations marking the start of 2025, Tim Cook and Elon Musk have teamed up for an exciting upgrade to the iPhone. The alliance between Apple and SpaceX brings Starlink satellite connectivity to the new iOS 18.3 update, as a hidden network compatibility feature has been discreetly incorporated.
As reported by Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, Apple Inc. has been covertly collaborating with SpaceX and T-Mobile US Inc. to incorporate support for the Starlink network into their latest iPhone software. This collaboration could potentially serve as an alternative to Apple’s in-house satellite communication service. Mario Nawfal, founder of IBC Group, referred to this development as a “game changer.” He further explained that with this update, iPhone users would have access to Starlink’s satellite network as an alternative to their current off-grid communication service provided by Globalstar. The unique aspect is that with Starlink, users won’t need to aim their phones at the sky; it works directly from your pocket. T-Mobile has announced to its beta testers that they can now send texts from anywhere using satellite connectivity. Although it’s currently text-only, SpaceX and T-Mobile plan to add voice calls and data capabilities in the future. Elon Musk has confirmed that medium resolution images, music, and audio podcasts should work with the current Starlink constellation, while a future generation will support medium resolution video.
As a gamer, I’ve been selected for a special collaboration between T-Mobile and SpaceX. Some iPhones on their network have received an exclusive message that allows phones for beta testing of the Starlink service. The message reads: “Congratulations! You’re now part of the T-Mobile Starlink beta. Enjoy texting via satellite from almost anywhere. To get started, simply update your iOS to version 18.3.”
Notably, Gurman has mentioned that users involved in this program have a new switch in their iPhone data settings for managing this satellite feature. Currently, the service is only available for text messaging but SpaceX and T-Mobile plan to expand it to voice calls in the future. At present, only iPhones within the U.S. market can access Starlink connectivity, with the feature believed to be compatible with iPhone 14 models and later.
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2025-01-31 11:56