Starlink Mini review: space internet goes ultraportable

Space internet is the reason I've been able to work from some very remote locations over the last two years, ever since I subscribed to what was then called Starlink RV. Now, SpaceX has launched the diminutive Starlink Mini. It changes the game for portable connectivity.

The $599 Starlink Mini combines the terminal and Wi-Fi router into a single dish that's so efficient, it can be powered by a portable battery, despite needing to lock onto a constellation of Starlink satellites traveling at speeds of 17,000mph about 350 miles above the Earth.

Hell, the whole thing fits into a small backpack with room left over for a laptop, folding solar panel, and a pocket-size USB-C power bank, offering hours of connectivity. That makes the Starlink Mini ideal for anyone like me looking to combine remote work with off-grid adventures by foot, bike, boat, or van - either for an extended weekend trip or as a lifestyle.

I recently bought the Starlink Mini, which I've been testing when hiking, vanlifing, and at home in the city. It's not quite as fast as my large and unwieldy residential dish, with its motorized stand and separate Wi-Fi router. But the Starlink Mini is more than capable of supporting connectivity speeds required for both work and play.

After more than a month of regular use in five European countries with up to 10 active devices on the same connection, I can say that if you're looking for fast internet with low (enough) latency that you can deploy quickly in places where 4G and 5G don't reach, then the Starlink Mini is for you.

The Mini is an angular, rectangular dish with a removable kickstand. It's about the size of a stack of printer paper and weighs just 2.56 pounds (1.16kg). In my testing, the Starlink Mini consumes less than half the energy of my much larger Standard Actuated dish with its separate Gen 2 router - a huge savings for a device that might be running on battery power 24/7 when mounted on an RV, boat, or off-grid cabin.

For maximum portability, you'll need the right USB-C cable and a properly specced USB-PD battery. But once you have that figured out, the performance is rather remarkable.