Apple partners with SpaceX to bring Starlink to iPhones

Apple is working to bring Starlink to the iPhone, according to a recent report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

It’s expected to work similarly to the iPhone’s Emergency SOS via satellite feature that lets users contact emergency services when they don’t have a cellular network or Wi-Fi connection.

The Cupertino-based tech company has partnered with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which developed the Starlink satellite network, along with a US telecom provider to begin testing it in beta.

Starlink for iPhones introduced Emergency SOS via satellite with the iPhone 14 models in 2022 in the US and Canada, while it provides cellular connectivity using one of Globalstar’s 24 satellites in low Earth orbit.

The Starlink partnership is also said to offer the same functionality, Apple explains, and in a report, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman highlighted that it will arrive as an alternative to the company’s in-house service and will be limited to the US.

Initially, it will only enable text messaging services but will also expand to offer data and voice calls in the future. For its rollout, the iPhone maker has partnered with T-Mobile and the service is currently in beta.

The report said that customers can sign up to access an “early version” of the Starlink service on select iPhone models.

According to Gurman, the latest iPhone models, such as the iPhone 16, currently support this initiative and Apple plans to bring it to the Apple Watch Ultra later this year.

This capability is said to have been introduced on the iPhone with the latest iOS 18.3 update that was released last Monday.

According to Gurman, T-Mobile iPhone models that are part of the program and in a location without cellular connectivity will first attempt to pair with SpaceX satellites, and iPhone users will also be able to enable texting via Globalstar and contact emergency services through Apple. While the current satellite-based SOS service requires you to point your phone at the satellite, Starlink will work automatically.