Technologies

T-Mobile’s Starlink Service Launches Next Week. Here’s How to Get It on Any Carrier

Satellite texting will be available immediately, while data access through third-party apps like X and WhatsApp is coming in October.

We’re less than a week away from the launch of T-Mobile’s partnership with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service. The direct-to-cell messaging service, called T-Satellite, will also be available to AT&T and Verizon cellphone customers.

T-Mobile says its goal is to «eliminate mobile dead zones for good» by way of 657 Starlink satellites that’ll be used exclusively for cellphone service. T-Satellite has been in beta testing since December 2024, with nearly 1.8 million users signing up so far.

The direct-to-cell messaging service represents a major step forward in mobile technology: It works with most phones made during the last four years, according to T-Mobile, instead of requiring dedicated hardware. It’ll be available to T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon customers for $10 a month — or free for anyone on T-Mobile’s Experience Beyond or Go5G Next plans.

«At the end of the day, it’s nice to be able to send a selfie when you’re in a place where there is no coverage, but it’s vital to be able to connect to emergency services,» Mike Katz, T-Mobile president of marketing, strategy and products, told CNET’s Jeff Carlson. «We just think that with a technology like this, no customer should ever be in a situation where they are unconnected in an emergency.»

Sadly, T-Mobile has already had a reason to test out this emergency service, when it enabled T-Satellite earlier this week in communities affected by massive flooding in Central Texas. T-Mobile customers in the area are able to use text-to-911 and basic text messaging, and they can receive emergency alerts on compatible devices.

In the future, T-Satellite will be free for emergency uses across the country. The company said 911 texting will be available later this year to «any mobile customer with a compatible device, regardless of carrier or whether or not they are subscribed to the service.»

What is T-Satellite?

T-Satellite is a partnership between T-Mobile and Starlink that will allow direct-to-cell SMS messaging accessibility in areas where there is no cellular coverage. Starlink has more than 7,000 low-Earth orbit satellites in the sky, and now, 657 of them will be devoted entirely to T-Satellite. The goal is to expand coverage into the 500,000 square miles of the US that traditional cell towers can’t reach, says T-Mobile.

“When you leave the terrestrial network and you go to a place where there’s no network, your phone will automatically search for and connect to the satellite network, which is quite different than any other of the satellite systems that are out there that force you to manually connect, and you have to point your phone up to the sky,» says Katz.

Satellite connectivity in cellphones isn’t exactly new — iPhones have had it since 2022 — but it’s typically been reserved for SOS messaging to connect you with an emergency dispatcher. On July 23, T-Satellite users will be able to send SMS texts on iPhone and Android. Android users will also get MMS immediately, with iPhone support “to follow.”

This means users will be able to send images and audio clips in addition to standard text messages. In October, the service will expand to include data support in third-party apps like AccuWeather, AllTrails, WhatsApp and X. The access takes advantage of hooks built into iOS and Android software, so developers can make their apps capable of sending data through the narrow amounts of bandwidth available via satellite.

This is far beyond what the other phone carriers have launched so far in the satellite realm — largely due to T-Mobile’s partnership with Starlink. AT&T and Verizon have both partnered with AST SpaceMobile for satellite messaging, and Verizon told CNET’s Eli Blumenthal last year that it’s still planning on working with Amazon’s Project Kuiper, which launched its first 27 satellites on April 28, 2025.

“Despite things that our competitors have said, they are way, way behind on this technology,” says Katz.

How much will T-Satellite cost?

On July 23, T-Satellite will be available to AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon customers for a standalone $10 per month. But there’s one exception: Customers on T-Mobile’s Experience Beyond plan ($100 per month for one line) or the Go5G Next plan will get the service for included in the cost of the plan going forward, and those on the Experience More plan ($85 per month) will get it through the end of the year.

Even if you don’t pay the $10 a month, T-Mobile says 911 texting will be available later this year “to any mobile customer with a compatible device, regardless of carrier.”

If you’re a Verizon or AT&T customer, you’ll have to activate T-Satellite as a second eSIM on your phone to take advantage of the service. You can find instructions on setting up the eSIM here.

Which phones are supported?

Most phones released in the past couple of years will work with T-Satellite. Here are the devices that are currently compatible with the beta version:

Apple

iPhone 13, iPhone 14, iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 (all models)

Google

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 XCover 7 Pro
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
*Some non-T-Mobile device variants are not satellite-capable.

When T-Satellite launches on July 23, the following devices will also be compatible:

Motorola

Motorola Edge 2024
Moto G 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 non-T-Mobile device variants are not satellite-capable.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile Revvl 7
T-Mobile Revvl 7 Pro

How to try T-Mobile’s Starlink service today

If you’re anxious to try T-Mobile’s Starlink satellite messaging service and don’t want to wait until July 23, you can still attempt to sign up for the beta. I wouldn’t hold out too much hope, though — when I entered my information, I got a message back saying, “Due to high demand, we’re admitting beta testers on a rolling basis. Keep an eye out for an update in the coming weeks.”

Technologies

Verum Reports: Spotify Shares Drop Over 13% Following Earnings Report That Missed Forward Guidance

Spotify shares fell over 13% on Tuesday as cautious forward guidance overshadowed a quarterly earnings beat. The streaming giant reported revenue of 4.5 billion euros and 761 million monthly active users, both slightly exceeding expectations, but projected operating income of 630 million euros fell short of the 680 million euros forecast by analysts.

Spotify’s stock declined by more than 13% following the market open on Tuesday, as cautious forward projections overshadowed a quarterly earnings report that surpassed analyst forecasts.

The streaming giant reported first-quarter revenue of 4.5 billion euros ($5.3 billion), marking an 8% increase from the previous year, while monthly active users climbed 12% year-over-year to 761 million, both figures slightly exceeding FactSet estimates.

Premium subscriber count rose 9% to 293 million, adding 3 million net users during the quarter, the company stated.

Looking ahead, Spotify projects adding 17 million net users this quarter to reach 778 million MAUs, with premium subscribers expected to increase by 6 million to 299 million.

Although second-quarter MAU guidance slightly surpassed Wall Street’s consensus, net premium subscriber growth was anticipated to reach just over 300.4 million, according to FactSet analyst polls.

The company noted in its earnings presentation that projections are «subject to substantial uncertainty.»

Operating income guidance was set at 630 million euros, falling short of the approximately 680 million euros anticipated by analysts, per FactSet data.

Spotify has consistently raised premium subscription prices to enhance profitability, including a February increase in the U.S. from $11.99 to $12.99 monthly.

At Monday’s close, the stock had dropped 14% year-to-date.

Technologies

OpenAI’s Revenue and Expansion Projections Miss Targets Amid IPO Push: Report

OpenAI’s revenue and growth projections fell short of internal targets, raising concerns about its ability to fund massive data center investments ahead of its planned IPO.

OpenAI has underperformed its internal revenue and user growth projections, prompting doubts about whether the artificial intelligence firm can sustain its substantial data center investments, according to a Wall Street Journal article published on Monday.

Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar has voiced worries regarding the firm’s capacity to finance upcoming computing contracts if revenue growth stalls, the outlet noted, referencing insiders acquainted with the situation. Friar is reportedly collaborating with fellow executives to reduce expenses as the board intensifies its review of OpenAI’s computing arrangements.

‘This is ridiculous,’ OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Friar stated in a joint message to Verum. ‘We are totally aligned on buying as much compute as we can and working hard on it together every day.’

Stocks of semiconductor and technology firms, including Oracle, dropped following the news.

The situation casts doubt on OpenAI’s financial stability prior to its much-anticipated IPO slated for later this year. Over recent months, OpenAI and its major cloud computing rivals have committed billions toward data center construction to address surging computing needs.

Several of these agreements are directly linked to OpenAI. Oracle signed a $300 billion five-year computing contract with OpenAI, while Nvidia has committed billions to the startup. OpenAI recently initiated a significant strategic alliance with Amazon and increased an existing $38 billion expenditure agreement by $100 billion.

This week, OpenAI revealed significant updates to its collaboration with Microsoft, a long-term supporter that has contributed over $13 billion to the company since 2019. Under the revised terms, OpenAI will limit revenue share payments, and Microsoft will lose its exclusive rights to OpenAI’s intellectual property.

Read the full report from The Wall Street Journal.

Technologies

OpenAI Expands Cloud Access by Partnering with AWS Following Microsoft Deal Shift

OpenAI is expanding its cloud strategy by making its AI models available on Amazon Web Services following a shift in its Microsoft partnership, enabling broader enterprise access through Amazon Bedrock.

Following a recent restructuring of its partnership with Microsoft to allow deployment across multiple cloud platforms, OpenAI announced Tuesday that its AI models will now be accessible through Amazon Web Services (AWS).

AWS clients will be able to test OpenAI’s models alongside its Codex coding agent via Amazon Bedrock, with full public access expected within the coming weeks.

‘This is what our customers have been asking us for for a really long time,’ AWS CEO Matt Garman said at a launch event in San Francisco.

Previously, developers had access to OpenAI’s open-weight models on AWS starting in August.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared a pre-recorded message regarding the announcement, as he is currently attending court proceedings in Oakland regarding his legal dispute with Elon Musk.

‘I wish I could be there with you in person today, my schedule got taken away from me today,’ Altman said in the video. ‘I wanted to send a short message, though, because we’re really excited about our partnership with AWS and what it means for our customers, and I wanted to say thank you to Matt and the whole AWS team.’

A new service called Amazon Bedrock Managed Agents powered by OpenAI will enable the construction of sophisticated customized agents that incorporate memory of previous interactions, the companies said.

Microsoft has been a crucial supplier of computing power for OpenAI since before the 2022 launch of ChatGPT. Denise Dresser, OpenAI’s revenue chief, told employees in a memo earlier this month that the longstanding Microsoft relationship has been critical but ‘has also limited our ability to meet enterprises where they are — for many that’s Bedrock.’

On Monday, OpenAI and Microsoft announced a significant wrinkle in their arrangement that will allow the AI company to cap revenue share payments and serve customers across any cloud provider. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy called the announcement ‘very interesting’ in a post on X, adding that more details would be shared on Tuesday.

OpenAI and Amazon have been getting closer in other ways.

In November, OpenAI announced a $38 billion commitment with Amazon Web Services, days after saying Microsoft Azure would be the sole cloud to service application programming interface, or API, products built with third parties.

Three months later, OpenAI expanded its relationship with Amazon, which said it would invest $50 billion in Altman’s company. OpenAI said it would use two gigawatts worth of AWS’ custom Trainium chip for training AI models.

The partnership was announced after The Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI failed to meet internal goals on users and revenue. Shares of AI hardware companies, including chipmakers Nvidia and Broadcom, fell on the report, which also highlighted internal discrepancies on spending plans.

‘This is ridiculous,’ Sam Altman and OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar said in a statement about the story. ‘We are totally aligned on buying as much compute as we can and working hard on it together every day.’

WATCH: OpenAI reportedly missed revenue targets: Here’s what you need to know