Starlink Mini Portable Internet from Space

The Verge has thoroughly tested the new compact version of the satellite terminal from SpaceX. Starlink Mini has proven to be a real breakthrough in portability — the entire system fits into a small backpack along with a laptop and a solar panel. We've collected the most interesting parts from the review .

The $600 device combines a terminal and a Wi-Fi router in one compact case the size of a pack of printer paper and weighing only 1.16 kilograms. The main achievement of the engineers is energy efficiency. Mini consumes an average of 30 W in the city and 15-20 W in rural areas, which is 64% less than the standard version.

In tests, download speeds reached 250 Mbps, and the average speed was about 150 Mbps when installed on the roof of a car. Even on the move, in a backpack during a hike, the terminal provided an average speed of about 53 Mbps , reestablishing the connection after losing the signal due to trees.

An interesting feature is that the orientation of the device is not as critical as one might think. Although the Starlink app offers help with precise positioning, tests have shown that even with suboptimal placement, the speed remains acceptable.

There are some nuances. To operate from a battery, support for USB-C Power Delivery at 100 W is required - not all power banks have this. Many consider the standard cable to be too short - only 5 meters versus 15 meters for the standard kit. Another funny "minus". The author complains that Starlink is so small and light that it can be blown away by the wind!

Wi-Fi signal works reliably at a distance of up to 60 meters in the absence of obstacles. If necessary, you can connect an external router via the RJ45 port. The delay fluctuates within 24-32 ms with peaks up to 100 ms.