A year ago, SpaceX reached a milestone that seemed to be drawn from a science fiction film: a normal and current iPhone connecting directly to a satellite to send messages. Today, this demonstration becomes a reality with the AStarlink directly to cell ctivationA technology that promises to eliminate the areas forever without cover in the world. And the most surprising: you will not need to change your iPhone if at any time you want to enjoy it.
The race to conquer the sky is more alive than ever. Apple took the first step with its emergency SOS on the iPhone 14, Samsung followed it with its satellite system, and now SpaceX takes a giant jump: not only emergency messages, but also Video calls, web browsing and messaging from anywhere on the planet. All thanks to a satellite constellation which makes its competitors small.
SpaceX gets something historic: an iPhone has satellite coverage for normal use
The figures are impressive: SpaceX launches two or three lots of satellites each week taking advantage of its reusable falcon. The result is A constellation of around 7,000 satellites In low orbit, representing 80% of the entire current space mass. A competitive advantage that reveals its competitors.
Each DTC Starlink satellite is a spatial engineering masterpiece. It incorporates a modern into andeb, the same technology that you would find in any land telephony antenna, but with a crucial difference: operates 550 kilometers high and only needs 0.2 watts to communicate With our phones, less than the LED of your iPhone camera.
These satellites move at speeds of 7.7 kilometers per second. The satellites form a spatial mesh, communicating andntre yes by laser obligationsreducing latency to levels comparable to terrestrial networks. When you make a call, your phone connects to the nearest satellite using FStandard LTE or 4G requestsTraveling the signal via this space network until reaching a service station.
Starlink directly to the executed cell on two iPhone
The war of satellite standards
While SpaceX makes this important step, the current panorama of satellite communications is fragmented. Apple has the front with an investment of $ 1.1 billion which extends on the iPhone 14. Samsung, on the other hand, has just arrived at this space race with its Galaxy S25. The problem is that Each manufacturer speaks his own language of space. Apple uses its network of owners via globalstar, Samsung depends on Skylo (and for the moment only via Verizon in the United States), and now SpaceX has its own solution.
Apple installations for satellite connectivity
The difference is that SpaceX is Compatible with any iPhone Recent that connects to the 4G network. Something more open, with a service similar to the one that can offer us a mobile operator from our country. Of course, another subject will be the costs of Starlink directly to the cell. To get an idea, Wi-Fi Starlink for the house: Starlink kit From 349 dollars And then a monthly service that starts from 29 dollars per month.
The starlink directly towards the cellular revolution is in personal use
Cruises that keep videoconferences in the middle of the ocean, remote weather stations transmitting data in real time, to these zones without cover in the mountains or distant roads … not to mention the industry, where the Maritime, industrial and agricultural sectors will literally be linked to the world. All for normal use of the 4G network, as we have it on any iPhone.
SpaceX obtained the authorization of the FCC to carry out experimental tests until July 2025, but the service is already available in the beta phase through associated operators such as T-Mobile in the United States or entangled in Chile and Peru. Meanwhile, Europe is preparing its response to the IRIS2 project, worth 10,000 million dollars. Companies such as Sateliot in USA develop identical solutions for the IoT SO-SALLED (Internet of Things).
Starlink in Wi-Fi is available in USA and in many countries of the world. Adapting it to the mobile coverage is a challenge that has already started. In this case, there is no antenna pointing towards the satellite, but is played with the equipment that we can find in any, for example, iPhone 16.
Manage thousands of satellites, avoid saturation of the spectrum and maintain the quality of the service. These are future challenges. But If something has taught us SpaceX is that the word “impossible” at an expiration date. The question is no longer if we can facetime from anywhere on the planet, but when this service arrives at our local operator.
Source | Xataka and Starlink
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