The new laptop-sized Starlink Mini could be the ultimate off-grid travel gadget
Starlink
- SpaceX internet division Starlink is offering a new smaller, more portable satellite dish.
- The laptop-sized Mini device draws less power than the full-sized Standard, and can reach 100Mbps.
- Sales are currently limited to areas where coverage has been "unaffordable or completely unavailable."
Staying connected while off the grid is getting even easier.
Starlink, the satellite internet division of SpaceX, is now offering a new smaller, more portable dish it calls the Mini.
At 11.75 inches by 10.2 inches and weighing less than 2.5 pounds, the laptop-sized device fits easily into a backpack and can reach 100Mbps.
BREAKING: SpaceX has officially started selling Starlink Mini.
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) June 20, 2024
Early Starlink customers are being invited to purchase the Starlink Mini Kit for $599 and bundle the Mini Roam service with their existing Residential service plan for an additional $30/month (The kit price will drop… pic.twitter.com/anYVaxahGO
It also draws less power than the full-sized Standard, which means the Mini is capable of running on a 100W USB-C PD battery pack, which The Verge estimates estimates could give you about an hour of run-time on a 10,000mAh pack.
"I just set it up right now and am writing this post through space. Took less than 5 mins," SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote on X. "This product will change the world."
Musk also claimed his connection achieved a remarkably low 23ms latency — fast enough for online gaming.
About half the price of the standard dish to buy and monthly subscription, but you can still watch multiple 4k video streams simultaneously!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 17, 2024
23ms latency. pic.twitter.com/07bW5WgKKi
The unit costs $599 in the US, but sales here are currently by invitation only as an add-on service to residential service plans.
Additional regions will be available in the future, but for now only customers in Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Panama can purchase a Mini, where it is available at a lower price with a special standalone service option.
"Our goal is to reduce the price of Starlink, especially for those around the world where connectivity has been unaffordable or completely unavailable," Starlink said.
Outdoor enthusiasts and digital nomads alike welcomed the concept on X.
"This would be a game-changer for me," Ron Stauffer posted. "I've spent the past decade awkwardly Wi-Fi-hopping from coffee shops to restaurants to coworking spaces and tethering from my iPhone. I always have my backpack with me, so this sounds like the perfect solution."