T-Mobile's CEO suggests that direct-to-cell Starlink service will be offered to those on its most expensive plans as a free perk. Others will be able to get it as a paid add-on.

Starlink will only support texting for now, but T-Mobile has said that the service will eventually expand to browsing and voice. The free beta provides users with high-speed internet connectivity in challenging-to-access areas such as rural locations, concerts, and even airplanes.

Starlink support appears to be a secret iOS 18.3 feature for iPhones, some of which now support satellite communication services from SpaceX — but only for users invited to join public beta testing of the service on US carrier T-Mobile. This supplements Apple’s existing satellite services supplier, Globalstar.

The latest iOS 18.3 update enables the satellite texting feature offered by T-Mobile through Starlink for select iPhone users.

Apple is reportedly partnering with SpaceX and T-Mobile to integrate Starlink satellite support into iPhone software, according to Bloomberg. The partnership would offer some T-Mobile customers an alternative to Apple's existing satellite communication service,

T-Mobile's cellular Starlink beta program was initially restricted to five Samsung phone models. But the carrier has quietly expanded it to select iPhones running iOS 18.3.

Apple Inc. has been secretly working with SpaceX and T-Mobile US Inc. to add support for the Starlink network in its latest iPhone software, providing an alternative to the company’s in-house satellite-communication service.