We thought we had learned all there is to know about iOS 18,3 when it arrived earlier this week, but apparently there’s one more feature Apple didn’t tell us about. As reported by Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, Apple has been working with SpaceX and T-Mobile US to bring support for the Starlink network in iOS 18.3, and customers can test it right now.
T-Mobile opened beta registration for Starlink in December but it was limited to Samsung phones, including the Galaxy Z Flip 6, Galaxy Z Fold 6, and S24 phones with no mention of the iPhone. However, it did promise that Starlink would “support the vast majority of modern smartphones.”
There are some caveats. At the start, the service only supports texting via satellite and is limited to the United States. T-Mobile also says users “will not need to hold their phone up to search for a signal,” a clear reference to Apple’s existing Emergency SOS via satellite feature that requires a clear view of the sky and horizon. However, Apple’s service also allows emergency calls as well as texting friends and family when outside normal coverage.
That feature was introduced with the iPhone 14 and was supposed to be free for two years after activation of the iPhone. However, Apple hasn’t announced any plans to charge for the service or disable it on phones after two years have elapsed.
Gurman reports that T-Mobile plans to expand the beta in February and Starlink parent SpaceX requested authority to begin beta-testing the service starting Monday. The Starlink beta is free for all users but T-Mobile has indicated that the service will cost a monthly fee. Starlink currently charges $120 per month for 30-150Mbps internet speeds but doesn’t have an emergency satellite plan.
