Earlier this week we heard news that Starlink satellite support was coming to iPhone as part of iOS 18.3 — but only if you’re a T-Mobile customer.
Starlink support was already confirmed for select Samsung Galaxy phones, and now it’s branching out to more devices — including Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL.
Pixel 9 owners that have signed up for T-mobile’s Starlink beta program have already started receiving messages that they’re now eligible to take part. This message claims that users can message from “virtually anywhere”, and the only requirement is that you have the correct hardware and up-to-date software.
The correct hardware, of course, being satellite-capable hardware — something that the Pixel 9 does include. It’s unclear what software version is needed to access this feature, though since Android 15 includes satellite support that certainly couldn’t hurt. Not that I imagine there are many Pixel 9 owners that haven’t upgraded to Android 15 already.
So far it isn’t clear what kind of connectivity will be available to Pixel 9 owners. Elon Musk previously tweeted that the “current generation Starlink direct-to-phone constellation” supports medium resolution images, music & audio podcasts. However T-Mobile’s beta page specifies that the service is currently only available for text messaging — with voice and data coverage planned for some point in the future. So don’t expect much more than basic SMS-style texting for now.
T-Mobile doesn’t have a definitive list of devices that are eligible for the beta, though it has confirmed that the beta test is free.
Despite this, spaces are apparently limited and will be available to a “smaller number of T-Mobile postpaid customers” with the appropriate phones. You can register for a chance to join in on T-Mobile’s website, providing your name, email and phone number.
If you don’t want to wait, Google is providing 2 years free access to its Satellite SOS feature. The upside is that it’s not limited to T-Mobile customers, but the downside is that this is an emergency feature — and can’t be used to text your mom when there’s no cell signal. However Apple’s recent Messages via Satellite feature does let you send non-emergency messages, which is worth bearing in mind as well.
Neither of these features utilize Starlink infrastructure either, if that’s something that matters to you.
In any case it is a good thing to see that satellite communication is on the upswing, even if it is restricted to the most basic kinds of messaging. These are features that can (and have) saved lives, and the easier they are to access the better.
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