Starlink just announced the Mini 2 dish that Elon Musk teased not too long ago. The Mini 2 is more rugged and comes with a removable 71Wh battery that SpaceX says lasts up to 4.5 hours and docks on and off without tools. The Mini 2 is also thinner and switches from Wi-Fi 5 to Wi-Fi 6, but it weighs more than the dish it replaces.
Starlink Mini 2 speed and functionality
Earlier this year, references in the firmware to a new dish with a built-in battery and a USB-C port surfaced, and now they prove credible. The Mini 2 backup battery is the main modification and has a quick release mechanism, LED status lights and a USB-C port. The clip-on battery weighs 490g and the Mini 2 charges it via USB-C at 60W. The package includes a 60W wall charger and a 3m USB-C cable. A physical power button replaces the old plug-and-go approach.
The body has changed, and the Mini 2 measures 314 × 263 × 23.1 mm (12.36 × 10.35 × 0.91 inches), while the Mini measures 11.75 × 10.2 × 1.45 inches. This makes it slightly larger but about 0.5 inch thinner. Weight is 1.6kg (3.53lbs) with battery and stand. Subtracting the battery leaves about 2.45 pounds for the dish and tripod, so the package accounts for the extra weight. Other upgrades include an IP67 rating, Wi-Fi 6 coverage of up to 1,800 square feet (167 m²), a 55° field of view, a foldable kickstand, and a standard 1/4″-20 tripod thread. The original Mini came with Wi-Fi 5, so the router gets a speed boost.
Price of the Starlink Mini 2 dish and release date
In June, Elon Musk appeared to show off the Mini Gen 2 alongside the recently released V5 dish. In last month’s earnings call, SpaceX’s chief financial officer signaled that the company is stockpiling retail inventory to push holiday sales. The Mini 2 Plate launched right before the busy Christmas shopping and is currently up for pre-order”by invitation for selected US customers,” with more countries to follow.
When purchased with a Roam plan directly from the manufacturer, the original Mini still ships at a significant discount, and the second generation of the Starlink portable dish carries a $100 premium over the discounted previous model. References in the backend API code on Starlink’s website refer to a “Mini 2 Beta” and a “Mini 2 Beta Kit”, suggesting that the second-generation portable antenna will begin rolling out to a small group of beta users first. SpaceX has done exactly that with the newer and much more compact Starlink V5 dish, whose dimensions even border the current Mini generation.
Starlink lists a price of $249 for the Mini 2 which matches what the first-gen Mini costs at retailers like Best Buy, making it a fairly affordable introductory price for the new hardware. Another code entry called “us-mini-2-battery-beta” appears to confirm a backup battery accessory for the Mini 2 that the listing sells for just $50, indicating that this would be an add-on that users can purchase separately if backup power is desired. The first-generation Mini doesn’t have an official battery option, which is why third-party vendors have stepped in with their own packs, like the 99Wh PeakDo clip-on battery available on Amazon, which provides many hours of battery life via satellite Internet in the suburbs.
All in all, if you want a dish you can set without digging for power, the Mini 2’s replaceable battery makes sense despite the extra $100 if they can get their hands on one when Starlink starts shipping it to end users. If they charge a lot or run the satellite dish from a vehicle’s DC supply, however, the $149 original is still the better buy for now. In the meantime, Starlink is offering a discount on the monthly rate of the Roam plan, necessary for the operation of the portable satellite dish, almost as if to celebrate the launch of the Mini 2.
