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The launch of the highly anticipated Starlink Mini dish is imminent. Last week, Starlink got approval from the FCC for the Mini’s Wifi router. Today, Starlink updated their app with some juicy new details. In this post, I’m going to dive into what we know so far, and show you the first images of the Mini.
Based on previous FCC documents filed by SpaceX, we know the size of Starlink Mini to be 11.4″ x 9.8″, or about the size of a laptop. Here is a graphic I made to compare the size of the Standard and the Mini:
Dimensions of the Standard dish (left) vs Mini dish (right)
Based on the size of the dish, it looks like Starlink Mini will be aimed at portable use cases, such as camping, RV’s, vans, hiking, etc. It’s designed to be easy to store, transport, and deploy. I’m hoping Starlink listens to customer feedback and offers a DC power supply accessory, but many details are still unknown.
What I do know at this point comes to us from a recent Starlink app update. The app update shows a new shop page for the upcoming Mini dish, as well as developer mode pages. This gives us our first look at the Mini:
As you can see, the Mini is very similar to the Standard dish, just smaller. It has a similar shape, and even a kickstand.
The Starlink app update gives us more details about the Mini. If you go into developer mode and play around with the Mini network settings, you notice something interesting. There is no separate router. Devices are connected to the dish itself:
That can only mean one thing: The Starlink Mini will feature a built-in Wifi router. I’m guessing that, in order to make the Mini as portable as possible, Starlink decided it was best to simplify the system and limit the number of components.
There are more Wifi details that have been revealed, and that is mesh compatibility. For those of you that might be interested in using the Mini at home, or for larger events where you need additional Wifi coverage, the Mini’s built-in router will be compatible with Starlink mesh. You’ll be able to wirelessly pair another Starlink router to the Mini, as seen in this Starlink app graphic:
There you have it, we’ve now seen what the Mini will look like, and how practical it will be for camping and other activities where portability is key. I speculate that Starlink will launch the Mini within the next several weeks, based on the familiar pattern we’ve seen from other product launches. The fact that Starlink created the shop page and updated the app suggests we are very close.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the images and details shared in this post. Let’s discuss it in the comments below!