T-Mobile’s collaboration with SpaceX’s Starlink is a super cool feature that brings satellite-based cell service to dead spots with no coverage across the country. The ongoing beta, free until July, has apparently seen its list of compatible devices reduced, and some phones that were eligible for the service are no longer supported.
A T-Mobile user discovered this when they realized that their Samsung Galaxy S23 said that it didn’t support a satellite connection. This came as a surprise as the person was getting ready to head out of town and give the Starlink beta a go. Naturally, they called T-Mobile’s customer support and were informed that the list of eligible devices had been shortened.
This change, according to the T-Mobile representative, came into effect on May 17, around seven days ago. No reason was given as to why, possibly to reduce load on a system that is currently prioritizing first responders, but the Galaxy S23 is also no longer supported. The user was fortunately able to share the updated list of eligible devices for the T-Mobile Starlink beta.
Updated list of compatible devices for the T-Mobile Starlink beta. | Image credit — Reddit
The beta program has seen mixed results till now. Some users are disappointed by the performance, while others say that it has worked flawlessly for them. One T-Mobile user shared their experience using Starlink on an iPhone 13 out in the middle of nowhere, and it worked great.
The iPhone 13 only recently became eligible for the T-Mobile Starlink beta after receiving iOS 18.5. However, the new updated list shown above does not mention the iPhone 13. It’s unclear whether that list might be a bit incomplete or whether support for the iPhone 13 has again been revoked.
AT&T and Verizon are both partnering with ATS SpaceMobile for their satellite cell services. The two carriers expect their offering to be fully operational by next year. SpaceX’s satellite array is vastly larger than ATS SpaceMobile’s, but it remains to be seen whether that helps T-Mobile win the satellite service competition. All three carriers will also be providing satellite-based data services to their customers.
The updated list of eligible devices for the T-Mobile Starlink beta doesn’t seem to have gained any publicity yet.
We've reached out to T-Mobile for a comment and will update the story when we have a response.
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Abdullah loves smartphones, Virtual Reality, and audio gear. Though he covers a wide range of news his favorite is always when he gets to talk about the newest VR venture or when Apple sets the industry ablaze with another phenomenal release.
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