Beyond the features introduced in the latest iOS 18.3 update, it is rumored that iPhone features include new additions. Includes the ability to connect to SpaceX’s Starlink Satellite Network.
Alarm Bells rings on social media and advises users to avoid upgrading to iOS 18.3 or “You have Starlink in their pocket” including a support forum that says Apple has signed with a space company owned by Elon Musk Although it includes Tiktok videos, Apple and SpaceX partnerships were not true.
Instead, with iOS 18.3 update, iPhone owners will only benefit from different partnerships between T-Mobile and SpaceX, while carrier customers will leverage the latter satellite network to connect when they don’t have cell signals can.
In December, T-Mobile announced that it could begin signing up for a beta program to test connectivity via StarLink satellites “early 2025.” Following that timeline, it makes sense for Apple to introduce this feature on the iPhone now.
The updated Apple Support Page makes it even more clear how iPhone users can selectively switch between selecting or disconnecting satellite connections through their carriers. Go to Settings > Mobile > Carrier or Phone Number and turn off the satellite (if it’s not visible, the carrier will not provide this service or will not provide it to your plan).
iPhone 14, iPhone 15, and iPhone 16 mobile phone owners can access emergency SOS and social text messages via Apple’s proprietary satellite services using GlobalStar’s satellite network. It can also be used with carrier satellite services.
With future beta testing, T-Mobile is ahead in the career race to provide satellite connectivity to its customers. Being able to stay connected through social or emergency messages beyond the scope of a mobile network has been an iPhone differentiator for many years and could become a carrier trumpet as a value added to the service rather than a rival. It’s not clear how much satellite connections cost, but like 5G, it’s the next frontier for expanding coverage.
AT&T and Verizon are both affiliated with AST Spacemobile for satellite connections, but the company is using the first five commercial satellites to begin testing on phones with both carriers. The first five commercial satellites were used to receive Federal Communications Commission approval. Neither AST SpaceMobile nor their carriers provide a timeline as to when this satellite service will be offered to customers.
Verizon partnered with Skylo of Satellite Network Company in August to complement non-terrestrial network customer coverage. Additionally, Verizon still has a partnership with Amazon’s project Kuiper, which dates back to 2021. This could provide backhaul coverage for cellular networks and other future work (the initial satellite company launched its first two test satellites in October).
View this: Detailed Practice: I tried Google’s Pixel 9 Satellite SOS
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