There are three major issues with the Starlink-enabled cell phone service right now, per the suspence89 Reddit user as laid out in a discussion thread.
According to them, the T-Satellite service is “not ready for prime time”:
The user has a solid experience with T-Satellite and has been part of the beta program for over a month, actively providing feedback through surveys and bug reports in the app. However, they encountered several significant issues that made the service difficult to rely on.
One major annoyance was receiving frequent, random text messages from T-Mobile stating that their device was connected to “T-Mobile Starlink”. These messages often arrived at inconvenient times, including late at night, and became frustrating quickly. For someone who has issues going to sleep or who is sensitive to noises, this can be an awful experience.
Another key problem for the user was service prioritization. Although they live in a rural area and depend on Wi-Fi calling nearly all the time, the phone would still frequently default to using the Starlink connection – even when a strong Wi-Fi signal was available. This caused disruptions, such as being unable to send picture messages or complete calls. Another major inconvenience, the way I see it. Fine tuning is needed as soon as possible.
Additionally, they noted that T-Mobile‘s customer support seemed unprepared to handle issues related to this new feature. Despite calling multiple times, they found that representatives consistently lacked the knowledge to offer meaningful help.
Using a Samsung S22 Ultra, the user advised others to hold off on adopting the service for now. In their view, it would be better to wait at least another six months for the company to address these problems.
Meanwhile, a fellow iPhone user who is on the iOS 26 beta program reports a win and a serious improvement over the iOS 18:
Previously, the iPhone user was unable to connect to Starlink satellites on T-Mobile‘s beta program, but now, after enrolling in the iOS 26 beta program, managed to.
Good to know!
