T-Mobile and SpaceX's Satellite Connectivity Likely Won't Require an iPhone 14

T-Mobile and SpaceX today announced a plan to offer smartphone connectivity nearly anywhere in the U.S. with a new "satellite-to-cellular" service.

tmobile spacex satellite connectivity
The new technology will leverage SpaceX's second-generation Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit and T-Mobile's nationwide mid-band 5G spectrum to provide "near complete coverage" in most areas across the U.S., in addition to territorial waters. If successful, the technology would eliminate "mobile dead zones" and keep customers connected beyond the reach of cell towers, which would be especially helpful in emergency situations.

T-Mobile and SpaceX said they hope to establish reciprocal roaming agreements with international carriers to offer the service globally in the future.

"The important thing about this is that it means there are no dead zones anywhere in the world for your cell phone," said SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, in a press release announcing the plan. "We're incredibly excited to do this with T-Mobile."

Below, we've outlined some key details about the T-Mobile and SpaceX plans and what the launch of the service will mean for iPhone users.

Will the satellite connectivity work with iPhones?

T-Mobile said the "vast majority of smartphones" already connected to its network will be compatible with the new "satellite-to-cellular" service, and this will presumably include iPhones. We've reached out to T-Mobile and Apple for clarification, but the companies did not immediately respond to our requests for comment.

T-Mobile said satellite connectivity will use a smartphone's existing cellular chip and will not require a Starlink terminal or any other hardware.

Will the satellite connectivity require an iPhone 14?

As mentioned above, T-Mobile said the "vast majority" of existing smartphones will be compatible with its satellite connectivity service right out of the box, so it does not sound like the feature will require Apple's upcoming iPhone 14 models.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has reported that iPhone 14 models could feature satellite connectivity for emergency use, but he said that Apple's partner would likely be satellite company Globalstar, rather than SpaceX, so the feature may be unrelated.

During a press event in Texas, T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert also said that the carrier has yet to start working with other companies on how they will integrate the technology, further suggesting that Apple is not currently involved with the plans. Of course, Apple could choose to partner with T-Mobile and SpaceX to fully support the service on iPhones in the future, even if the companies have yet to discuss the matter.

Given the service will leverage T-Mobile's mid-band 5G spectrum, it's possible Starlink satellite connectivity will require an iPhone 12 or newer, but we'll have to wait for the companies to share additional details about the technology.

There is still a possibility that Apple will announce a similar satellite connectivity feature for the iPhone 14 in partnership with Globalstar, and perhaps it would work with more carriers than just T-Mobile at launch. Earlier this week, Apple announced that it will be holding a media event on September 7 with the tagline "Far Out" and starry sky artwork, fueling speculation that Apple has a satellite connectivity announcement planned.

How will the technology work?

SpaceX plans to have a constellation of second-generation Starlink satellites in low Earth orbit with advanced antennas that smartphones can connect to via T-Mobile's mid-band 5G spectrum without any additional hardware. T-Mobile said the service will provide "nearly complete coverage almost anywhere a customer can see the sky," and Elon Musk said the service should work when a person has the phone in their pocket or is in a vehicle.

What is the purpose of satellite connectivity?

T-Mobile and SpaceX said the satellite-to-cellular service is designed primarily for areas without existing cell network coverage, to eliminate mobile dead zones. The service is not intended to be a substitute for much faster cell networks in urban and suburban areas, but instead will ensure that people can stay connected in areas without cell towers for basic communication by text message and eventually phone calls.

When and where will the service launch?

T-Mobile and SpaceX plan to launch the service in beta by late 2023, starting in select areas of the U.S. The service will eventually cover most areas of the continental U.S., Hawaii, parts of Alaska, Puerto Rico, and U.S. territorial waters.

T-Mobile and SpaceX said they hope to establish reciprocal roaming agreements with international carriers to offer the service globally in the future.

How much will the service cost?

T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert said the carrier plans to offer Starlink satellite connectivity on its "most popular plans" for no additional charge. For some lower-priced plans, Sievert said T-Mobile may charge a monthly fee to access the service, with pricing that would be "far less" expensive than existing satellite service providers.

Will the service work for phone calls and text messages? What about iMessage?

Starlink's direct satellite connectivity to smartphones will initially work with SMS and MMS text messages and "participating messaging apps," according to T-Mobile and SpaceX. The announcement did not name any participating messaging apps, so it's unclear if Apple's iMessage service will be supported at launch.

In the future, the companies plan to "pursue the addition of voice and data coverage" for phone calls, web browsing, and more, but speeds would be limited.

How fast will the satellite connectivity be?

Second-generation Starlink satellites will be able to provide data speeds of up to 2-4 Mbps to each cell zone, which would be suitable for text messages and eventually phone calls when supported, according to Elon Musk.

Exact speeds would depend on how many T-Mobile customers are simultaneously using the service in a given cell zone. If a cell is not very busy, Musk said there is the potential that users could play "a little bit" of video in the future, but the service is not intended for this sort of usage and is instead designed for basic communication.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...

Top Rated Comments

nutmac Avatar
38 months ago
Hyperboles aside, and Elon's reality distortion field tends to be larger than Steve's, I think this is fantastic.

At 2-4 Mbps per 15-mile radius cell zone (real world figure is about half of that), this is obvious not being marketed for anything but messaging at the moment. But this will be still very useful.

Many famous hiking trails, ski slopes, campgrounds, and waterways worldwide lack cell signal. Granted, most of us don't frequent these places, but most of us have certainly experienced them, many several times a year.

The fact that this will be a complementary feature to most T-Mobile customers (and nominal fee for the rest) is another great news.

Like most of Elon's endeavors, this will no doubt be a beta test for his Mars mission program.

I hope Apple will lay some groundwork for making these limited bandwidth features work: offline maps for one thing (Google Maps had this for years).
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tothemoonsands Avatar
38 months ago
Perfect for sending an emergency text when your Tesla runs out of battery in the middle of a desert ?

But in all seriousness, this is a very interesting development. Verizon, AT&T, and even Apple are probably watching this very closely.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
twocents Avatar
38 months ago
Having been with all three, I rank them as:

T-Mobile > Verizon > AT&T

As such, this is more to ’love’ as far as carriers are concerned
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mannyvel Avatar
38 months ago
Holy crap, this is amazing.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wanha Avatar
38 months ago
This seems to be mostly shine and no substance - intentionally timed to pre-empt Apple and Globalstar's announcement next month. Informative thread here --> [MEDIA=twitter]1562967341347901440[/MEDIA]
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
_Spinn_ Avatar
38 months ago
This sounds very cool if it lives up to the hype.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)