For years, Starlink was simply Elon Musk’s satellite internet service. But if plans within SpaceX come to fruition, that label will fall short. The company is already working on what it internally calls the Starlink Phone, a smartphone designed from the ground up to communicate with satellites in low Earth orbit.
This wouldn’t be just another phone on the market; it would be a serious first step toward a device that connects to space without needing permission from traditional mobile networks.
A Phone Built to Talk to Space
The idea behind the Starlink Phone is straightforward to explain but ambitious in practice: a mobile device capable of connecting directly to the constellation of satellites that Starlink has orbiting approximately 550 kilometers above Earth. No towers, no terrestrial antennas – just the phone and the satellites.
To achieve this, the project relies on the “direct to cell” technology that SpaceX is already testing in the United States. Instead of inventing a new standard, the system allows the phone to see the satellite as if it were a floating LTE/4G tower. From the user’s perspective, the experience would be similar to connecting to a normal cellular network… except the antenna is orbiting the planet.
The primary goal isn’t to compete head-to-head with 5G networks in major cities, but to address a problem that few want to tackle: “dead zones” without coverage, where deploying terrestrial infrastructure simply isn’t cost-effective. This is where Musk aims to position the Starlink Phone as the only signal bar that appears when everything else displays “No service.”
What is Known About the Supposed Starlink Phone
Although the device hasn’t been officially unveiled, the emerging technical plan has several key points:
The hardware would be optimized for coverage and battery life, with an integrated, high-sensitivity antenna capable of capturing weak signals from low Earth orbit and compensating for the Doppler effect caused by the satellites’ movement. In terms of connectivity, the priority would be to launch with basic services like text messaging and limited data, then enable voice calls and more comprehensive navigation as the network matures and commercial agreements are finalized.
Regarding speed, no miracles are promised. We’re talking about performance similar to modest 3G or 4G networks, sufficient for essential communication, messaging, maps, and critical tasks, rather than 4K streaming marathons. But that’s precisely the point: it’s not about being the fastest phone, but the phone that works where others don’t even turn on the antenna.
Another interesting point is the integration of low-power artificial intelligence, aimed at better managing the network and battery. The idea is for the phone itself to “think” about when and how to connect to the satellite to save energy, prioritize important messages, and optimize the signal based on location.
As for price, estimates place it around $300, a figure aligned with Starlink’s fixed internet hardware. It wouldn’t be a luxury high-end device, but a functional device designed as a gateway to the company’s satellite ecosystem.
Launch, Strategy, and Impact Outside the United States
The Starlink Phone’s market entry doesn’t depend solely on engineering, but on something less glamorous: the regulation of the radio spectrum. In the United States, SpaceX is already testing “direct to cell” technology through an agreement with T-Mobile, with a subscription scheme around $10 per month.
Outside of that market, expansion is projected between 2026 and 2027, provided each country authorizes the use of the necessary frequencies. This is a significant move: if Starlink controls both the satellite infrastructure and the end device, it moves from being just another provider to becoming a global operator parallel to traditional telecom companies.
In countries like Argentina, where Starlink already has more than 490,000 active satellite accesses driven by demand in rural, mining, and productive areas, a phone of this type could completely change the connectivity map. Sectors that today rely on precarious or expensive links would, in theory, have a direct and relatively affordable option to stay connected from anywhere on the map.
Revolution or Expensive Niche (For Now)?
The Starlink Phone, if realized as described, wouldn’t replace current smartphones, but occupy a space that no one is adequately covering: essential connectivity in remote locations.
Many questions remain to be answered:
- How will traditional carriers react to an actor that “jumps” their networks.
- How stable will the experience be in real-world mobility, not just in controlled demos.
- And, above all, whether the final price of the device and subscription will be competitive outside the United States.
What seems clear is that Starlink is no longer content with selling antennas for the roof of the house. It wants to get into the user’s pocket, literally, with a smartphone that talks directly to space and turns the satellite into the new antenna of life.
