SpaceX is exploring a “Starlink Phone” for direct-to-device internet services: report
SMRTR summary
A smartphone that connects directly to satellites orbiting 340 miles above Earth could soon become reality, as SpaceX reportedly explores building a Starlink-branded mobile device. Unlike conventional phones, Elon Musk envisions something "optimized purely for running max performance/watt neural nets," though details remain scarce.
The potential device represents SpaceX's deeper push into mobile connectivity, building on partnerships with T-Mobile and a massive $19.6 billion satellite spectrum purchase from EchoStar. Starlink has become the company's cash cow, generating an estimated $8 billion in profit from roughly $15-16 billion in total SpaceX revenue last year.
With over 9,500 satellites already in orbit serving 9 million users worldwide, SpaceX has dedicated 650 satellites specifically to direct-to-device services aiming for global cellular coverage. The company's ambitious Starship rocket could supercharge these efforts, with Musk claiming each launch carrying Starlink satellites could boost network capacity "more than 20 times."
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Teslarati.
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