In a surprising turn of events, Apple has quietly integrated Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network into its latest iPhone software update, iOS 18.3. This partnership, announced without much fanfare, offers iPhone users an alternative to Apple’s existing satellite connectivity service from Globalstar and marks a significant win for Musk’s SpaceX.
The iOS 18.3 update, now rolling out worldwide, allows a select group of iPhone users to access a beta version of Starlink connectivity through T-Mobile. Needless to say that it is only available in the U.S. at the time of writing. Initially, the service is limited to text messaging, with possible expansion to include data connections and voice calls, in the works for a future release.
The move is surprising for many reasons but mostly because it presents a direct challenge to Apple’s existing Globalstar partnership. The idea behind both (including Starlink) is that because they rely on satellites, they are more effective and useful when more conventional cellular connectivity is challenging or not available at all. In fact, they come into play only when cellular becomes offline, at least in this context, which is why Apple clubs it under “emergency” services.
Starlink has a major leg-up over Globalstar because unlike Globalstar, which requires users to manually point their iPhones at the sky to establish a connection, Starlink operates in the background, even when the device is tucked away in your pocket.
Elon Musk himself has taken to X (formerly Twitter) to express his enthusiasm over the rollout. He has suggested that the current Starlink technology could eventually support image, music, and podcast transmission, with video capabilities also on the way.
The partnership is currently limited to the US and available with a seemingly small group of people with no word on if and when it will be available in other markets. Cut to India, SpaceX is reportedly close to securing a license for its satellite broadband services after accepting key government conditions regarding data security and storage.
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