Elon Musk: 'We've Had Promising Conversations With Apple About Starlink Connectivity'

[twolf2919]

I actually think this is likely in the future.

The new satellite functionality can barely send a text message, starlink is a totally different ball game.

Correction: "starlink WILL BE a totally different ball game WHEN/IF IT HAPPENS".
Elon Musk is notorious for exaggerating time frames on products. E.g. the Cybertruck is now 3 years late from when Elon originally estimated it would start production. Assuming the same 3 year delay for these SpaceX space-based cell towers, we can look forward to this different ball game sometime in 2026 or 2027. Meanwhile iPhone users will have 4-5 years to enjoy the safety of SOS messaging in remote areas.

 

[trvs]

I’d switch to Android before using any product associated with Musk. And I hate Android.

 

[guerro]

I just came here to, once again, witness the stupidity and hatred from all the Apple FanPeoples. The level of shear stupidity and ignorance still abounds with them. I guess some things never change. Even when the world around them has left them behind.


See what I mean...

 

[Return Zero]

So why is this globalstar solution better than working with starlink? Is the coverage for tmo-starlink not gonna be as vast as they claim?

Because it works with the satellites that are already deployed. The T-Mo thing will require new satellites and is years down the road for broad rollout.

 

[Haiku_Oezu]

Nah, I’m good thanks

 

[B-Mc-C]

Do you guys not see that this is Musk throwing shade at Apple? This is an insult as a back handed complement. He's working on a Starlink feature with T-Mobile where phones can connect with low orbit satellites using common 5g spectrum without all the special hardware and software apple used in the new iPhone 14. in this case the phone would work, well, like a phone when connecting to satellites.

I have no Idea if that will ever actually work well, it's just what Musk is referencing here. This is just Musk being smug.

The special hardware you speak of is the existing Qualcomm modem in the iPhone 14 (and even in every iPhone 13). It’s not like there is a bunch of extra satellite chips taking up space and power in the iPhone. Elon presented another pipe dream, said himself it is years away, and also mentioned obvious problems with how it will work (TWO MEGABITS of shared bandwidth for tens/hundreds of thousands of people, yet it will still seem just like a cellular connection and the user and phone won’t know the difference? LMAO). This will be just like the million robo-taxis that were going to be on the road by 2018 and the human robot, or the cybertruck, roadster, and semi, that are years delayed, again and again. He is not throwing shade at Apple, they just beat him at his own game, by a long shot.

 

[geartau]

You think it's weird that people "hate" the guy, because of something that hasn't happened, isn't about to happen, and you are just predicting will happen 10 years from now?

superchargers are already opening up to third party, non-tesla EVs (which in 10 years, will likely have a majority of new car sales)
tesla has already been involved in replacing gas peaker planets with batteries
tesla virtual power plant has helped stablize the grid with customer powerwalls (PG&E beta program for now)
hawaiian airlines and royal caribbean/celebrity cruises are already started attaching starlink to their vehicles for faster internet for everyone on board (cruises will finish by Q1 2023 and hawaiian airlines will offer FREE starlink internet).

tell me again how something hasn't happened

in 10 years, these solutions will have been scaled up by at least an order of magnitude to which you'll likely at least experience one of these benefits in some way.

 

[geartau]

What products are those? Is that when the CyberTruck or full self driving are actually going to ship?

explained here: https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...t-starlink-connectivity.2357655/post-31418738

 

[clive27]

I don't even know what "spaced-based signals" is supposed to mean. Even if Globestar emulated cell towers with their satellites, the signal from those satellites would obviously still be space-based. In answer to what I think you're asking, I think the iPhone will communicate with the satellites the way a satellite phone would - i.e. not using cellular signaling.

I'm guessing different protocols and modulation technique would be used for space based signals. Cell tower has to accommodate as much user as possible while giving them good speed, also while avoiding signal collisions, but its signal is strong (relative to satellites signal) and its ping small. It would be not as efficient if satellites use the same protocol. For one, delay would be much larger, so whatever variables used to optimize collision avoidance would not make sense. Signal power from the satellite would be much lower, so modems that are not aware of the satellites communication may just give up? to save battery. I'm speculating..

 

[awhk]

SHUT THE MUSK UP MAN!

 

[clive27]

I find the user interface of the Tesla much much better than several Carplay systems I tried. I just hope they develop Apple Music app so I don't have to get another music subscription. But Tune-In is awesome too, so I don't miss much. Apple's strength is its vertical integration. By providing Carplay that must adapt to different car hardware, they became the Google of car infotainment system. Tesla quite nailed the user interface. I don't get excited with iOS update anymore, but I do read through all the "what's changed" memo excitedly whenever the update comes in.

 

[geartau]

Do you guys not see that this is Musk throwing shade at Apple? This is an insult as a back handed complement. He's working on a Starlink feature with T-Mobile where phones can connect with low orbit satellites using common 5g spectrum without all the special hardware and software apple used in the new iPhone 14. in this case the phone would work, well, like a phone when connecting to satellites.

I have no Idea if that will ever actually work well, it's just what Musk is referencing here. This is just Musk being smug.

i don't see it as a dig against apple. he even says it's better to have the phone adapt to the satellite than for SpaceX to emulate a cell tower.

 

[Crosscreek]

After 15 years of 5Gbps DSL from ATT I was saved by Starlink for internet. His solutions work but only on Musk time. Usually add a year or two to his timeline.

 

[geartau]

Correction: "starlink WILL BE a totally different ball game WHEN/IF IT HAPPENS".
Elon Musk is notorious for exaggerating time frames on products. E.g. the Cybertruck is now 3 years late from when Elon originally estimated it would start production. Assuming the same 3 year delay for these SpaceX space-based cell towers, we can look forward to this different ball game sometime in 2026 or 2027. Meanwhile iPhone users will have 4-5 years to enjoy the safety of SOS messaging in remote areas.

Model 3 and Model Y were shipped earlier than expected, two of Tesla's most important products.

They repaid a federal loan ahead of schedule. And their battery project in australia was finished ahead of schedule

elon's predictions don't always hit on time, obviously, but it's easy have a negative view on it when you focus only on the bad things.

people thought starlink wasn't going to happen and some youtubers thought it would be impossible, yet they have about half a million paying customers using it today.

 

[kingtj1971]

After what Musk pulled with Twitter why would anyone want to do business with him, except maybe for auto-part supply companies.

I think it's funny people who buy Apple products would even say this?

Do you know *anything* about Apple's LONG history of totally screwing over companies after promising they "wanted to work with them"?

In the case of Twitter, even Disney's former CEO came out saying when Disney was considering a Twitter buyout back in 2016, one of his last minute realizations was that a substantial number of "users" weren't real people.

I find it's generally a really bad idea to bet against Elon Musk and whatever one of his companies is planning on doing.

 

[kingtj1971]

The only problem being that Musk wants the constellation to consist of 14'000 satellites, replaced every 5 years. This is in no way responsible towards the environment. And for what, just so that the ping is a tiny bit lower? No thank you.

If Tim Apple is serious about wanting to be environmentally friendly with the company, then he cannot use Starlink.

LOL! *This* is your justification not to do business with Starlink?

Not sure if you're aware, but THE reason traditional satellite broadband Internet has never really become more than a "last ditch solution" for people is that problem of high ping times and latency. It makes many uses of the net (such as online gaming or VoIP calling) impossible, and is frustrating at the least. So Starlink overcoming that is a HUGE deal.

But "the environment" is a nonsense reason to be upset with anything of this sort. How many physical trips does a network like that save people from making when they can conduct business virtually instead?

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

This should happen, also put Tim Cook out to pasture and bring Elon in as CEO. That would get that car built.

 

[DaveN]

Yes and the full self driving auto pilot you paid $15,000 for years ago is really going to come soon. Trust me. It is just around the corner.

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

Yes and the full self driving auto pilot you paid $15,000 for years ago is really going to come soon. Trust me. It is just around the corner.

Bet it comes out before the Apple Car tbf

 

[BootsWalking]

In the case of Twitter, even Disney's former CEO came out saying when Disney was considering a Twitter buyout back in 2016, one of his last minute realizations was that a substantial number of "users" weren't real people.

I guess you've bought Musk's line that he wants out due to Twitter's fake users? Perhaps you missed his tweets claiming Twitter was overrun with bots and fake users *before* he did the deal. He did the deal anyway. After the price dropped and it was obvious he overpaid now he wants out of the deal, because, wait for it, he claims Twitter is overrun with bots and fake users.

 

[griffd]

Wow, all this Elon hatred is ridiculous. The fact is, SpaceX's Starlink is the most capable high-speed low-latency satellite-based Internet provider in the world, by far. And Apple would be very smart to partner with SpaceX, so of course they're talking. Also, the current FSD beta (10.69.1.1) is incredible. Anyone here criticizing Tesla's autonomous efforts needs to take a closer look. Like Starlink, they are FAR beyond anybody else in the industry at cracking full autonomy without requiring 3D map data and geofences. Mark my word, they will be first.

 

[IllinoisCorn]

I think it's odd to heavily advertise a feature so few will use (and nobody wants to use).

 

[kingtj1971]

I guess you've bought Musk's line that he wants out due to Twitter's fake users? Perhaps you missed his tweets claiming Twitter was overrun with bots and fake users *before* he did the deal. He did the deal anyway. After the price dropped and it was obvious he overpaid now he wants out of the deal, because, wait for it, he claims Twitter is overrun with bots and fake users.

I think it's still as valid a complaint as it ever was ... and was for Disney to demand a big discount on the selling price, and then to ultimately back out anyway.

Musk tweets a lot of stuff because clearly, he likes to joke around or attack things he's not happy with, and Twitter happens to be his platform of choice to voice those things? It's no different than what I see people do on Facebook or other social media sites all the time, really. It's at least a fair argument on his part to say that "despite his initial concerns that Twitter was over run with bots and fake users", he was convinced that wasn't a serious issue by the time he made the deal, and then realized it was worse than Twitter's people led him to believe.

Honestly, I don't care if he gets out of the Twitter deal or he doesn't. Whatever .... I think if he winds up stuck with it, he'll come up with some new ways to use it or to leverage it to benefit his other companies, so it won't be a total loss. Probably wasn't one of his smarter decisions to buy it in the first place, but may have partially been an attempt to call their bluff and turned into a commitment? None of it is that relevant to Starlink or Tesla or to the PowerWall whole house battery pack sales, or PV solar sales, or even his "Boring company", and certainly not to Space-X.

 

[griffd]

Yes and the full self driving auto pilot you paid $15,000 for years ago is really going to come soon. Trust me. It is just around the corner.

Years ago? Uhm, FSD went up to $15k just 3 days ago, lol. I bought it three times already, and let me tell you, it was worth every penny now that I have access to the early release beta. It's mind blowing.

 

[russell_314]

typical of musk trying to claim some attention when he had nothing to do with the subject at hand. such an obnoxious guy

I have no dislike for Musk and I think his cars are flipping awesome but this looks like a "Hey look at me, I want to be relevant here" cry for attention. It's kind of sad because he doesn't need to do that to get noticed.