Some users in the United States are starting to get offers from SpaceX for a new Starlink kit. The kit, dubbed Starlink Mini, is supposed to be small enough to fit into a backpack.
At 11-inches tall, 10-inches wide and 1.45inches thick, the device, sans kickstand, is about the size of a really thick Chromebook.
According to emails sent out to potential customers, the Mini will have an upfront cost of $599. The Reddit thread, spotted by Engadget, is a mixture of people shocked at the price and others trying to reassure them that the price will come down "eventually." Par for the course in any Reddit thread really.
The shock isn't without merit though. The $599 price tag is $100 more than a standard Starlink dish kit. Also, users will have to already be subscribed to an existing Residential service plan. On top of that you'll need to add on a new $30 Mini Roam service subscription to the plan.
All-in, that's $150 a month to run the new internet-from-space router.
On a Starlink support page, the company says, "Our goal is to reduce the price of Starlink, especially for those around the world where connectivity has been unaffordable or completely unavailable. In regions with high usage, like the US, where Starlink Mini places additional demand on the satellite network, we are offering a limited number of the Starlink Mini Kits to start at a higher price point."
It's unclear from any other messaging when or how long it will take before we see prices come down on the device.
The controversial CEO of SpaceX, Elon Musk, touted the Mini on X saying that it will become a "great low cost option".
About half the price of the standard dish to buy and monthly subscription, but you can still watch multiple 4k video streams simultaneously!23ms latency. pic.twitter.com/07bW5WgKKiJune 17, 2024
The Starlink Mini is powered by DC and supposedly capable of download speeds up to 100 Mbps. And compared to the normal kit, the Starlink Mini comes with a built-in Wi-Fi router.
Additional components include a kickstand, pipe adapter, power supply and USB-C cord with a barrel jack.
The device is currently available in some South American countries and now, limitedly in the US, but on X, Starlink VP of Engineering Michael Nicolls has said the company is ramping up production and wider availability is coming soon.
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