Don’t miss out on our latest stories. Add PCMag as a preferred source on Google.
It looks like SpaceX is offering its own early Black Friday deals with new Starlink Mini discounts.
On Monday, Starlink.com and some third-party retailers, including Home Depot, began offering the Starlink Mini for $229, which appears to be a new low.
(Credit: Starlink.com)
The dish normally costs $499, but SpaceX recently discounted it to $299. It’s now $70 cheaper than that for those subscribing to the Roam tier and at third-party retailers, which offer in-store pick-up, free shipping, and a longer return window.
Some consumers have been waiting for a discount on the Starlink Mini, the company’s first portable satellite internet dish. It launched last year for $599 in the US, substantially more than the standard Starlink dish. However, since then, the company has discounted both dish models and even the monthly plans, in an apparent effort to attract more users and drive up revenue.
SpaceX also requires a $20 fee for delivery. (Credit: Starlink.com)
In addition to all this, SpaceX has been offering some longtime customers in the US and Canada access to the Mini dish as a “free” rental. The company has been selectively distributing the offer through email to loyal customers, which requires the user to return the hardware if they ever bail from the Starlink service.
Recommended by Our Editors
The downside to the Mini dish is that it works best with the $165-per-month unlimited data Roam plan, which is separate from the more affordable Residential plans. However, a customer can also opt for the cheaper $50-per-month Roam plan, which caps the data limit at 50GB.
We gave the Starlink Mini a positive review. But there are signs that SpaceX is working on a follow-up dish, which might explain why the company is offering discounts.
Get Our Best Stories!
Your Daily Dose of Our Top Tech News
Sign up for our What’s New Now newsletter to receive the latest news, best new products, and expert advice from the editors of PCMag.
Sign up for our What’s New Now newsletter to receive the latest news, best new products, and expert advice from the editors of PCMag.
By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up!
Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!
About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Senior Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
Read Full Bio
