Starlink Might Launch Its Own Smartphone – Here’s What We Know – BGR

After conquering space, highways, satellite internet, and social media, Elon Musk’s next move might be to put a new phone in our pockets. Reuters reports that SpaceX is considering giving a boost to its Starlink business by releasing a smartphone. Citing people familiar with the matter, the report notes that the phone would feature “direct-to-device internet and a space tracking service.”

Ultimately, SpaceX’s goal would be to link its phones to Starlink satellites. Mobile carriers are already making use of Starlink satellites — such as T-Mobile’s T-Satellite with Starlink — but it’s unclear how a SpaceX phone would impact those partnerships.

Reuters also reminds readers that making a phone has been on Elon Musk’s radar for some time, but looking at previous statements, Musk doesn’t appear to be planning to directly compete against Apple or Samsung. Rather, the entrepreneur is betting on flashy features such as satellite connectivity and “max performance” for AI — especially now that SpaceX merged with xAI, the Musk company behind Grok and other AI technologies.

As has been the case with many of Musk’s claims, the timeline for a SpaceX phone actually seeing the light of day is a mystery, but satellite connectivity might be the next big push for smartphone makers. Apple introduced Emergency SOS via satellite on the iPhone 14. In the following years, Apple upgraded the experience with Find My capabilities and roadside assistance. At first, the company said it would charge users for satellite usage after two years, but more than three years later, those perks are still free, and slowly expanding globally.

Besides that, a report from The Information revealed that the iPhone 18 Pro could feature full 5G satellite internet. Currently, Apple works with Globalstar — a Starlink rival — to provide its satellite features. However, the report reveals that Apple might end up working with Musk, as SpaceX uses the same radio technology that Apple puts in its iPhones. Whether or not this comes to pass remains to be seen, but it could have an impact on the potential SpaceX phone.