Walking out of the network may soon be a thing of the past, as a T-Mobile partnership with Starlink on SpaceX Satellite service It is preparing for launch on July 23. The Alliance will provide direct-cell messaging service, called T-satellite, which will also be available to AT&T clients and Verizon.
T-Mobile says Its purpose is to “eliminate the mobile dead zones for good” using 657 stark satellites that will be used exclusively for mobile phone service. The T-satellite has been in beta-test since December 2024, with nearly 1.8 million users so far reported.
Direct-cell messaging service is a big step forward in mobile technology: it works with most phones made in the last four years, according to T-Mobile, instead of looking for dedicated hardware. Wille is available to T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon customers for $ 10 a month-or free for anyone who is the T-Mobile experience outside the plan.
“At the end of the day, it's nice to be able to send a selfie, but it's vital to be able to connect to emergency service,” Mike Katz, Marketing, Strategy and Products, told CNET to Effef Carlson. “We only think that with such technology, no customer should be in a situation where they are not in emergency.”
However, you can still benefit even if you do not sign in, as T-Mobile will make the service free for emergencies. The company said 911 text messages would be available later this year at “any mobile client with a compatible device, regardless of the carrier or whether they are subscribed to the service”.
What is T-satellite?
The T-satellite is a partnership between T-Mobile And Stardlink This will allow accessibility to messaging with direct-cell messages in areas where there is no mobile cover. Starlink has More than 7,000 satellites with low -land orbit In the sky, and now, 657 of them will be dedicated entirely to T-satellite. The goal is to expand the coverage to 500,000 square miles from the country that traditional cell phones can not reach, says T-Mobile.
“When you leave the land network and go to a place where there is no network, your phone will automatically search and connect to the satellite network, which is quite different from any other of the satellite systems that are there forcing you to connect manually, and you have to point your phone to the sky.”
Satellite connection to mobile phones is not very new – iPhone they had Since 2022 – But it's usually reserved for SOS Messaging to connect you with an emergency dispatcher. On July 23, T-satellite users will be able to send SMS to iOS and Android. Android users will also get MMS (multimedia service) immediately, with the support of iOS “to follow”.
This means that users will be able to send images and audio clips in addition to standard text messages. In October, the service will expand to include support for third -party applications such as Accuweather, Alltrails, WhatsApp and X. Access took advantage of hooks embedded in iOS and Android, so developers can make their applications capable of sending data through tight amounts of satellite.
This is far above what other telephone carriers have started in the satellite area-mainly because of T-Mobile's partnership with Starklink. AT&T and Verizon have a partnership with Ast Spacemobile for satellite messages and Verizon said to Eli Blumenthal on a crate Last year that still plans to work with the project of Amazon Kuiper, who launched its first 27 satellites On April 28, 2025
“Despite the things our competitors said, they are a way, behind this technology,” Katz says.
How much will the T-satellite cost?
On July 23, the T-satellite will be available to AT&T customers, T-Mobile and Verizon for independent $ 10 a month. But there is one exception: the customers of T-Mobile's experience outside the plan ($ 100 a month for one line) will receive the service free of charge at indefinitely, and those who have experience with multiple plan ($ 85 a month) will receive it by the end of the year.
Even if you don't pay $ 10 a month, T-Mobile says 911 texts will be available later this year “any mobile client with a compatible device, regardless of the carrier.”
If you are a Verizon or AT&T client, you will have to activate the T-satellite as a second esim on your phone to use the service. You can find Instructions for setting up ESIM here.
Which phones are supported?
Most phones announced in the past few years will work with T-satellite. Here are the devices that are currently compatible with beta -version:
Apple
- iPhone 13, iPhone 14, iPhone 15 or iPhone 16 (all models)
- Google Pixel 9
- Google Pixel 9a
- Google Pixel 9 Pro
- Google Pixel 9 Pro xl
- Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Motorola
- Moto G Stylus 2025
- Moto Razr 2024
- Moto Razr Plus 2024
- Moto Razr 2025
- Moto Razr Plus 2025
- Moto Razr Ultra 2025
- Moto Razr Ultra Plus 2025
Samsung
- Samsung Galaxy A25 5G SE*
- Samsung Galaxy A35 5G
- Samsung Galaxy A36
- Samsung Galaxy A36 SE
- Samsung Galaxy A53 5G
- Samsung Galaxy A54 5G*
- Samsung Galaxy S21
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Fe
- Samsung Galaxy S22
- Samsung Galaxy S22 PLUS
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Fe
- Samsung Galaxy S23
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Fe
- Samsung Galaxy S24
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S24 Fe
- Samsung Galaxy S25
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Plus
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
- Samsung Galaxy Xcover7 Pro
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3
- Samsung Galaxy Z FOLD4
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
*(Some variants of non-mobile devices are not capable of satellite)
When the T-satellite officially launches on July 23, the following devices will also be compatible:
Motorola
- Motorola Edge 2024
- Moto d 2024
- Moto G Stylus 2024
- Moto G 5G 2024
- Moto g stylus 5g 2024
Samsung
- Samsung Galaxy A14
- Samsung Galaxy A15*
- Samsung Galaxy A16
- Samsung Galaxy A35
- Samsung Galaxy A53*
- Samsung Galaxy Xcover6 Pro
*(Some variants of non-mobile devices are not capable of satellite)
T-Mobile
- T-Mobile Revvl 7
- T-Mobile Revvl 7 Pro
How to try Starlink's T-Mobile service today
If you are worried to try the Satellite Message service on T-Mobile on Starlink and you don't want to wait until July 23, you can still try to Sign up for beta. However, I wouldn't stand too much hope – when I entered my information, I got a message, saying: “Due to high demand, we recognize beta -rolling testers. Watch out for the update in the coming weeks.”