SpaceX has opened invitation-only U.S. preorders for Starlink Mini 2, a thinner all-in-one satellite terminal with a built-in, hot-swappable battery, at $999 including a year of Roam Unlimited service that the company values at $2,100, The Verge reported Nov. 10, citing the Starlink site and invitation screenshots. SatelliteInternet.com reported the same price and service bundle.
Why it matters: The original Mini needed an external power source. SpaceX says the Mini 2 can run up to 4.5 hours on a charge, and that extra batteries will be sold separately. It can also be powered over USB-C from a 60-watt source, The Verge said.
The new dish is 23.1 millimeters thick, down from 38.5 millimeters on the first Mini, and weighs about 3.5 pounds with the battery, according to The Verge. It keeps an IP67 dust- and water-resistance rating. SatelliteInternet.com, also citing Starlink, said the first wave is expected to ship in mid-December, that an onboard Wi-Fi 6 router is rated to 1,800 square feet, that the unit appears to drop the Ethernet port, and that it is the first Starlink dish with a dedicated power button.
Preorders are “by invitation for select US customers” and are “coming soon” to more customers and countries, both reports said, quoting Starlink. The $999 introductory price is far above the $149 SatelliteInternet.com listed for the current Mini, but the first-year Roam Unlimited service is included in that figure. Wider pricing has not been announced.