Apple introduced the Emergency SOS via Satellite feature with the iPhone 14, which uses Globalstar’s LEO (Low-Earth Orbit) satellites. Now Elon Musk’s company Starlink is also bringing an alternative satellite connectivity option for Apple, which has been started in collaboration with T-Mobile.

This technology will especially be useful for those people who live in remote areas or where mobile towers do not reach. Currently, it is available only for SMS-based communication, but in the future, slow voice calls and data services can also be added.

How will Starlink Network work on iPhone?

1. No Mobile Tower Needed – If you are in a place where there is no mobile network, then your iPhone will automatically try to connect to Starlink satellite.
2. Use of both Globalstar and Starlink – Unlike the earlier Emergency SOS service, Starlink service will work without any direction pointing, that is, you will not need to keep the phone in any particular direction.
3. Launch with iOS 18.3 Update – This feature has been introduced with the iOS 18.3 update, which is currently available in beta version only for T-Mobile users.
4. Future Possibilities – In the first phase, only SMS is supported, but Elon Musk has hinted that voice calling and internet may also be possible in the coming time.

Is this the Future of Mobile Communication?

Starlink’s satellite connectivity technology can be a revolution for the whole world, especially in rural and remote areas where there are no mobile networks. If the partnership of Apple and Starlink is successful, then it is going to change the future of mobile connectivity.

But there is also a big question here – will this service be affordable? Because satellite-based communication is still costly. If Apple can make it budget-friendly, then this can be a new era of true global connectivity.

What do you think? Is Starlink the future of mobile connectivity or will it remain just a high-end service?