In its announcement, T-Mobile says that all customers with a compatible phone and voice plan are eligible for the beta test but as folks at Android Authority note, not all phones qualify at the moment.
In time, T-Mobile Starlink is expected to work with most modern mobile phones. During the beta, to ensure a great customer experience we are optimizing the experience on select smartphones and will expand the beta to more customers and phones as more satellites launch. We’ll provide more details on optimized phones when we open the beta in early 2025.
T-Mobile, December 2024
The company hasn’t revealed which phones have been optimized for the service but says it will provide more details in early 2025, which is when it will open the beta.
One of the best things about T-Mobile and SpaceX’s direct-to-cellular service is that you don’t need specialized hardware or even a phone with satellite functionality such as the Apple iPhone 14 or Google Pixel 9 to connect to a satellite.
That’s why, it might disappoint some users to learn that most current smartphones won’t work with the service, contrary to what CEO Mike Sievert had said. However, as the press release notes, that restriction is only temporary, and as its partner launches more satellites capable of offering service, the list of compatible phones will expand.
As network blackouts in the recent past have taught us, land-based wireless networks aren’t always the most resilient in the face of natural disasters and technical glitches. Besides, there are areas where cell service is not available, but with the launch of this and similar services from other carriers in the future, you won’t have to worry about being cut off from the rest of the world whenever you are in the mountains or a desert.
