T-Mobile (TMUS.O) has announced that Apple’s (AAPL.O) iPhone devices can now test SpaceX’s Starlink direct-to-cell capability, which provides satellite coverage for mobile networks.
Currently in trial mode, the service allows “text via satellite,” with voice and data features planned for future updates, according to T-Mobile. Initially, only select Android smartphones were eligible, but with the latest iOS 18.3 update, iPhones have now been included.
Bloomberg first reported that Apple, SpaceX, and T-Mobile had been secretly collaborating to integrate support for Starlink’s direct-to-cell technology into the latest iPhone software.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the testing in November 2023, and in October, it permitted SpaceX and T-Mobile to activate Starlink satellites to assist areas in North Carolina affected by Hurricane Helene.
Apple and SpaceX have yet to comment on the announcement.
