Back in 2022, Apple unveiled the iPhone 14 series with support for the life-saving satellite connectivity feature. This has since become a staple for iPhones, returning on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 lineup as well. It seems like Apple is now working on improving this technology with a secret partnership with SpaceX and T-Mobile.

Apple joins hands with SpaceX & T-Mobile for Starlink connectivity for iPhones

A new Bloomberg report claimed that the Cupertino based giant has been working with SpaceX and T-Mobile in secret to bring Starling satellite connectivity to the iPhones. This likely takes advantage of the partnership between T-Mobile and SpaceX that was also announced back in 2022. The report further adds that T-Mobile has already begun testing this feature for a limited number of iPhone users.

It is currently in the beta phase so it likely isn’t a polished experience at the moment. However, the feature is currently available to users that are running iPhones with iOS 18.3, which was recently released earlier this week. In an official note for the T-Mobile Starlin beta, the telecom brand stated that “You can now stay connected by texting via satellite from virtually anywhere. To start experiencing coverage beyond, please update to iOS 18.3.”

For those unaware, the carrier had previously stated that Samsung Galaxy phones would be getting Starlink communication support. The collaboration between T-Mobile and Starlink with Apple only supports sending messages via satellite communication. However, there are plans for bringing voice calls and data sometime in the future. In the past, the iPhone maker was rumored to be working with GlobalStart for its satellite connectivity feature on its smartphones. But now, the partnership might be expanding with T-Mobile who claimed that all users will get access to this feature later this year.

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The post iPhones to Get Starlink Satellite Connectivity? New Leak Sparks SpaceX & Apple Partnership Rumors appeared first on Gizmochina.

If you were to ever wander into the deep woods or traveled to the middle of an ocean, chances are that you will have no cellular signal, meaning you can’t access the Internet and you can’t make calls unless you have a satellite communicator with you. And the main reason for the lack of cellular signals in places like the forest and the ocean is because telecommunications providers don’t have cell towers built in the area to provide you cell service to access the Internet or to make calls.

However, in 2022, technology has matured far enough that humans have finally found a solution to tackle the problem of providing cell service even in remote places that were previously unreachable by traditional cell signals. 

In a live event today, US telecommunications provider, T-Mobile alongside the globally renowned aerospace company, SpaceX, introduced Starlink V2, the satellites that can directly transmit cell signals to mobile phones and Tesla cars from space.

The announcement today was mainly focused on Starlink V2’s implementation in the US with telecommunications provider T-Mobile. Under the new plan which they dubbed Coverage Above and Beyond, both companies will establish a new network using T-Mobile’s existing mid-band spectrum across the United States. 

The main advantage of using an existing spectrum is that the majority of smartphones on its existing network will be able to connect to the new network without any need for new equipment.

Leveraging on SpaceX’s Starlink V2 satellites, the new network aims to eliminate cellular dead zones across the country. Whether it be from the middle of Death Valley to the Great Smokey Mountains, the newly established network aims to provide cell phone connectivity every time, everywhere.

Chief Engineer of SpaceX, Elon Musk says that for the new network, the deployment of Starlink V2 satellites will work great for texting and voice calls but not for usages that require high bandwidth. This is mainly because each cell zone under the new network can only deliver 2 to 4Mbps. 

Although SpaceX’s Starlink V2 technology is only currently implemented in the USA, both SpaceX and T-Mobile shared their vision for expanding Coverage Above and Beyond globally, issuing an open invitation to the world’s carriers to collaborate for truly global connectivity. And in a tweet posted by SpaceX CEO himself, Elon Musk, the man hopes to be able to eliminate cellular dead zones once and for all, worldwide.

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(Source 1, Source 2)

The post Say Goobye to “No Cell Service”, SpaceX Announces Industry-Changing Starlink V2 Satellites appeared first on Gizmochina.