(Photo illustration by Cheng Xin/Getty Images)
SpaceX might be developing its own Starlink-branded smartphone to connect with the company’s satellite services. The device is intended to help boost revenue as SpaceX prepares for an IPO, Reuters reports, citing unnamed sources familiar with the plans.
Details are scant, but Reuters notes that “Musk's satellite and rocket company has had the mobile phone plans for years." In May, The Information also reported that Musk has considered building his own phone "to get around Apple’s gatekeeper position in the market."
Musk tweeted about developing a phone last week after a user on X said that a “Starlink phone would be so sick.” In response, the SpaceX CEO wrote, “Not out of the question at some point. It would be a very different device than current phones. Optimized purely for running max performance/watt neural nets," which suggests it could run AI-powered applications.
SpaceX is already delivering its cellular Starlink service to phones via T-Mobile, offering users connectivity in dead zones. But for now, the service is bandwidth-constrained and only works for users outside of traditional cell networks. However, SpaceX is preparing to upgrade the satellite connectivity to support 5G-like performance after the company reached a deal to acquire valuable radio spectrum from Boost Mobile’s parent, EchoStar.
In September, Musk even entertained the idea of competing with traditional mobile carriers. The company has since filed a trademark for “Starlink Mobile.” In addition, SpaceX has requested to launch an additional 15,000 satellites to support its cellular Starlink service, which currently spans about 650 satellites.
Entering the phone business could bolster SpaceX’s revenues as the company begins marketing its IPO to potential investors, who are likely curious about its financials. But the smartphone business isn’t easy. Apple and Samsung have long led the market, especially in the US, and it’s unclear if SpaceX's satellite connectivity will be enough to make a Starlink phone stand out.
In the meantime, Apple offers emergency satellite connectivity to iPhones via its partner, Globalstar, which is working to upgrade its own constellation. AT&T and Verizon are working with a startup called AST SpaceMobile to deliver satellite broadband to their own subscribers.