Technologies

T-Mobile’s Starlink Phone Service Is Launching July 23, but Everyone Can Sign Up for the Free Beta Right Now

Take an early look at the T-Mobile Starlink satellite phone service which is available to Android and iPhone owners on every phone carrier.

T-Mobile is about to launch its new satellite phone service powered by Starlink. Dubbed T-Satellite, the network will officially start serving customers on July 23, but if you want a sneak peek right now, it’s easy to apply and take Starlink for a smartphone test drive.

In December 2024, T-Mobile launched a beta program that’s available to customers of any phone carrier, regardless of whether you have an iPhone or Android phone. The program is still open for those who want to apply.

However, access is limited during the T-Mobile Starlink beta. If you’re a T-Mobile customer living in the US, you must have an optimized phone, like the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Galaxy Z Flip 6, iPhone 16 or Google Pixel 9. Customers of AT&T, Verizon and other phone carriers can also apply for the T-Satellite beta if they have a compatible, unlocked device with eSIM support.

If you’re interested in trying out the T-Mobile Starlink satellite service and don’t know where to start, here’s everything you need to know.

What is T-Mobile Starlink satellite service and how does it work?

In August 2022, during a live event, T-Mobile and SpaceX announced Coverage Above and Beyond, a plan for bringing cellphone connectivity everywhere in the US, even in the most remote regions. T-Mobile’s wireless network would leverage Starlink’s direct-to-cell satellites — more than 300 of them — to provide «near complete coverage» to all 500,000 square miles in the US that are not covered by cell towers, essentially eliminating dead zones.

If you’re in an area without cell service, like Yosemite National Park or the Grand Canyon, your phone will automatically connect to the nearest T-Mobile Starlink satellite, acting like a floating cellphone tower, to give you service, as long as there’s nothing obstructing the connection between your phone and the sky.

What can you do with T-Mobile Starlink satellite service?

You can use the T-Mobile Starlink satellite service to send and receive text messages on your supported phone — for free. That includes text messages to 911 in case of an emergency. Plans are in place to add support for picture messaging, voice calls, and data soon — but for most users, it will come at a cost.

Who can use the T-Mobile Starlink satellite service?

Right now, you need to meet the following requirements if you want to use the Starlink satellite service on your phone:

Anyone with any phone plan can apply. On T-Mobile’s website, it says: «Anyone — on any carrier — can register to participate in the beta. We’ll admit people on a rolling first-come, first-served basis, so we encourage everyone to sign up as soon as possible.»
You must have an optimized phone. According to T-Mobile, the following phones work with its Starlink satellite service: iPhone 14 and later, Google Pixel 9, Samsung Galaxy S23 and later, Galaxy Z Flip3 and Fold 3 and later, Motorola 2024 and later and more. You can find the full list here, which includes a few more Galaxy models.
You must also be on the latest software update. T-Mobile says that your phone must be on the latest software to use T-Mobile Starlink.

You must also be accepted into the T-Mobile Starlink satellite service beta program. The next section will explain how to sign up.

How can I join the T-Mobile Starlink satellite service beta program?

If you meet the requirements listed in the previous section, go to T-Mobile’s satellite phone service website and register with your full name, email and mobile phone number. Once you’ve been verified, you’ll receive confirmation that you’re on the waitlist for the Starlink satellite service via email.

Capacity is limited, so not everyone will get to join during the beta launch, but if you have an «optimized» phone, meaning a newer phone, you have a better chance of getting accepted. You should receive a notification via email or text when you’re accepted into the program. As the program leaves the beta stage on July 23, more people will be able to join.

What else you should know about T-Mobile’s Starlink satellite service

Since the satellite-to-cell service is still in beta, here are answers to some common questions you might have:

When will the free beta end? T-Mobile plans to end the free beta on July 23.
What will the price of the T-Mobile Starlink service be after the beta is finished? The service will continue to be free for users on T-Mobile’s Experience Beyond plan, but for every other T-Mobile customer, it will be $10 a month per line «for a limited time.» New subscribers to T-Mobile’s Experience More plan will receive T-Satellite free through the end of 2025.
How much will it cost for Verizon, AT&T and other carrier users? While Verizon and AT&T customers can get T-Mobile Starlink text messaging for free during the beta trial, once the full service launches in July, it will be $10 per month per line.

Technologies

Nintendo’s Pokemon Legends: Z-A Is a Hit. Just Ask My Kid

Pokemon Legends: Z-A has sucked my family in, and I can’t get my Switch controller back from my son.

I’d love to tell you all about Pokemon Legends: Z-A, arriving this week, and what it’s been like to play on the Nintendo Switch 2. I can mostly do that — but for most of the past five days, it hasn’t really been me playing. What started as co-playing together quickly turned into my kid taking over completely as he got hooked. And honestly, I’d say that’s a good sign.

Nintendo makes a lot of Pokemon games, too many for me to keep track of. But Legends Z-A is the first that’s Switch 2-optimized, although you can play on original Switches, too. I can’t tell you what that’s like, though — my early review access limited me to playing Pokemon Legends: Z-A on the Switch 2 only at home. I was doubtful about how much a city-based game would truly feel like a must-have experience, but so far it’s already become one of my favorite Pokemon games ever.

I’ll let my son tell you. He’s gotten deep into the trading card game and has played most of the recent Pokemon titles over the past year, and he says this is his favorite so far. When I asked him why, he said it’s because the game completely rethinks how battles work. The quick, real-time system feels more immediate and far less sluggish than in past Pokemon games. Plus, he’s loving the story… and honestly, so am I.

A city full of surprises

My son loves the «peculiar» storyline, the fast-paced battles (which he now wants in every Pokemon game) and the constant sense of surprise while exploring Lumiose City.

All of Pokemon Legends: Z-A (at least from what I’ve seen in my 10-plus hours so far) takes place entirely within Lumiose City — a Paris-like metropolis where the CEO of a company called Quasartico Inc. is planning to rebuild everything into a new world where Pokemon and humans can better coexist. The setup reminded me of the Detective Pikachu movie during my demo a few weeks ago, and it turns out my instincts were right.

Pokemon roam in wild zones within the city, occasionally spilling into urban areas, while mysterious rogue «Mega Evolution» Pokemon have begun appearing and threatening the city’s calm. There’s clearly a deeper mystery at play, and while I’m still uncovering it, I won’t spoil anything here.

The game seems to mostly involve a journey to level up in rank from Z to A by battling various Pokemon trainers, but that’s not the whole story. There’s a group of friends you hang out with at a local hotel, along with research missions you have to carry out. Side quests are everywhere. The city, though it can feel a bit sparse at times, stretches all the way up to its rooftops, where all sorts of hidden spots are waiting to be discovered. It feels like a living maze, and one I’m still navigating.

And the city’s always changing, too. Wild zones keep multiplying, and from day to night the city’s dynamics shift. Battles take place at night, with trainers gathering in new pop-up spots each time. It’s not as lively as I’d hoped — this isn’t Grand Theft Pokemon — but the cozy, vibrant world still makes me daydream about what a real-life Universal Pokemon theme park could someday look like.

The Pokemon shine

I keep reminding myself to take extra time to discover and level up my Pokemon. At least that’s what my son’s telling me to do. He loves how many Pokemon can become Mega Evolved in this game, and how much fun the battle moves are to pull off. I’m happy he’s happy. I thought I’d get lost in the RPG aspects of the game, but I think the real-time Pokemon battles put me in a looser state of mind, more able to explore and not feel locked down into systems and rulesets. Swapping Pokemon battle moves and reassigning them to buttons is easy, too.

The stronger focus on trainer battles — and the sheer variety of Pokemon capable of mega evolving — gives the game more of that classic, Pokemon-centered energy than Pokemon Legends: Arceus ever did. I found myself more excited to see how different Pokemon looked and behaved than to uncover new realms to explore. After all, for all of Lumiose City’s secrets, you’re spending a lot more time roaming one massive location than in any other Pokemon game I can remember. Thankfully, the visual upgrades on the Switch 2 make those Pokemon look fantastic in battle.

I do want to spend more time in Lumiose City, though, and can’t help but wonder if this is a glimpse of how all Pokemon games will keep evolving. It’s hard to say, since Legends games like Z-A and Arceus have been more experimental than the rest of the series. But, like Arceus, Z-A is now one of my favorite Pokemon games on Switch. And on Switch 2, it plays smoother and feels better than any Pokemon game ever has before.

Technologies

iPhone 17 Preorders Spike and Overall Phone Sales Aren’t Slowing Down Despite Tariffs

Global smartphone shipments saw a notable increase in the third quarter of 2025. Plus, preorders for Apple’s new iPhone 17 beat out the iPhone 16.

Despite tariffs and market uncertainty, global smartphone shipments increased 2.6% in the third quarter of 2025, compared to the same time last year, according to the International Data Corporation. Additionally, preorders for the iPhone 17, which launched last month, outpaced last year’s iPhone 16.

These increased sales include premium phones like the latest iPhones and Samsung foldables, suggesting yet again that pricier phones still sell in periods of economic strain. It’s a remarkable achievement, says IDC senior research director Nabila Popal, citing shrewd financing options as the reason people keep buying these high-end phones, which cost anywhere from $800 to nearly $2,000.

«[Phone makers] have mastered the art of innovation not only in hardware and software to entice upgrades but also in removing purchase friction. They have flawlessly combined cutting-edge devices with innovative financing models and aggressive trade-in programs that make the upgrading decision a ‘no-brainer’ for consumers,» Popal said in an IDC press release.

Apple sold 58.6 million iPhones this quarter, an increase of 2.9% over the same period in 2024, with more preorders for the iPhone 17 series than its predecessor. But Samsung wasn’t far behind, with its Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 selling better than all of the company’s prior foldables. The company still reigns atop the phone market with 61.4 million phones sold, representing 19% of the market in the third quarter of this year — an increase of 6.3% from the same period last year. Meanwhile, Apple lands slightly behind Samsung with 18.2% market share this quarter.

The other phone makers trailing Apple and Samsung are, in order: Xiaomi, with 13.5% of the market; Transsion, with 9%; and Vivo with 8.9%. The remaining companies in the phones industry, from Chinese stalwarts like Oppo and Honor to Motorola and Google, make up the remaining 31.4% of the market for the quarter. All told, 322.7 million phones were sold, up from 314.6 million in the third quarter of 2024, according to IDC.

IDC’s findings for the third quarter continue the small but steady growth of phone sales over the year, including a modest 1% increase in the preceding three months — which includes the April deadline when President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs. In the second quarter, IDC cited midrange devices like Samsung’s Galaxy A36 and other phones that started incorporating AI. But even persistent tariffs haven’t slowed down people’s appetites for pricier phones in the third quarter.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, Oct. 14

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 14.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s Mini Crossword has an odd vertical shape, with an extra Across clue, and only four Down clues. The clues are not terribly difficult, but one or two could be tricky. Read on if you need the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.