Starlink coming to iPhones via secret Apple and T-Mobile deal
Jan 29, 2025
Key Points
- Apple secretly integrated Starlink satellite support into iPhone software via a deal with SpaceX and T-Mobile, going live Monday with texting in areas without cellular coverage.
- Starlink's low-Earth orbit architecture and SpaceX's launch capability give it a structural advantage over Apple's previous exclusive partner Globalstar, whose stock fell on the news.
- The arrangement lets T-Mobile white-label Starlink's network for redundancy, SpaceX gains mainstream adoption, and Apple sidesteps the risk of Starlink launching a competing phone service.
Summary
Apple has been secretly working with SpaceX and T-Mobile to add Starlink satellite support to iPhone software, according to reporting by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The arrangement provides an alternative to Apple's existing satellite service, which relies on Globalstar.
The integration went live Monday with the latest iPhone software update. T-Mobile will offer texting via Starlink satellites in areas without cellular coverage, with plans to expand to data connections and voice calls. The beta is limited to the US for now. Elon Musk confirmed on X that images, music, and podcasts should work on current Starlink hardware, with video support coming in future upgrades.
T-Mobile had previously only specified Starlink for Samsung phones, making the iPhone move a notable expansion. Apple declined to comment; T-Mobile confirmed the beta with notifications to users saying they can "stay connected with texting via satellite from virtually anywhere."
The competitive shift
Globalstar's stock fell on the news. The company had been Apple's exclusive satellite partner since 2022, when Apple announced the feature using Globalstar's network. The dynamic tilts sharply in Starlink's favor: SpaceX owns the rockets needed to launch satellites, while Globalstar must pay SpaceX for launch capacity—a structural disadvantage in a competitive bid.
Starlink's technical architecture also outpaces Globalstar's older geostationary satellite model. Starlink operates roughly 1,000+ satellites in low Earth orbit at approximately 3,000 miles altitude, enabling lower latency and automatic connectivity without pointing a phone at the sky. Globalstar requires manual alignment. The Starlink system can theoretically work inside buildings or in a pocket, though satellite connectivity remains blocked when cellular coverage is available—the system automatically defers to cell towers.
Apple plans to bring satellite features to its Ultra smartwatch later this year. The FCC granted SpaceX conditional approval in November to supplement T-Mobile's network, and SpaceX requested beta testing authority starting Monday, which was granted.
The arrangement sidesteps the risk that Starlink would eventually launch its own competing phone service, threatening traditional telecom operators. Instead, T-Mobile and Apple essentially white-label Starlink's infrastructure, similar to how Mint Mobile operates as a reseller on other carriers' towers. T-Mobile gains redundancy for areas without cellular coverage; SpaceX gains mainstream consumer adoption and carrier validation; Apple maintains control of the feature while diversifying beyond Globalstar.