A battery-powered Starlink Mini is likely on the way

# A battery-powered Starlink Mini is likely on the way Source: [https://www.theverge.com/tech/937090/battery-powered-starlink-mini-rumor](https://www.theverge.com/tech/937090/battery-powered-starlink-mini-rumor) [](https://www.theverge.com/authors/thomas-ricker) Thomas Ricker is a deputy editor and Verge co\-founder with a passion for human\-centric cities, e\-bikes, and life as a digital nomad\. He’s been a tech journalist for 20 years\. Code in recent Starlink firmware suggests that SpaceX might soon release a version of its smallest internet dish with an integrated battery\. A battery\-powered Starlink Mini would offer untethered portability for vanlifers, emergency responders, and anyone who wants fast, low\-latency internet from almost anywhere on the planet\. University researcher Jinwei Zhao spotted a number of strings hinting at the integrated battery in a May firmware release,[according to*PCMag*](https://www.pcmag.com/news/firmware-hints-at-new-starlink-dish-with-built-in-battery-usb-c-port)\. The “[message DishBatteryStats](https://github.com/clarkzjw/starlink-grpc-golang/blame/c587a6235e105d52ad6b035ce308e628ec5e0366/proto/spacex_api/device/dish.proto#L303-L307)” line suggests code designed to return specific fields from an integrated battery, including the current state\_of\_charge\. If the dish were simply being plugged into an external, third\-party power bank, the Starlink firmware wouldn’t be able to natively read the battery’s exact charge percentage or charging state\. [](https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/message-DishBatteryStats-.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0,0,100,100) The firmware also contains code referring to[three distinct power states](https://github.com/clarkzjw/starlink-grpc-golang/blame/c587a6235e105d52ad6b035ce308e628ec5e0366/pkg/spacex.com/api/device/dish.pb.go#L570), suggesting the unit can run off a direct USB\-C power source, its own internal battery, or both simultaneously\. That kind of pass\-through support should extend the battery’s health to prevent the dish from becoming an expensive paperweight after a few hundred cycles\. Right now, the Starlink Mini must be tethered to an AC wall outlet or portable battery to latch onto those 10,000\-plus satellites operating in low Earth orbit\. You can also buy batteries like the[impressive PeakDo LinkPower series](https://www.theverge.com/reviews/898580/peakdo-linkpower-2-review-starlink-mini-battery), which slot right into the back of the Starlink Mini\. But PeakDo’s software is janky, and the batteries are expensive compared to similarly\-specced external power banks\. A Starlink Mini with an integrated battery would presumably work seamlessly in the Starlink app, be supported by SpaceX’s warranty, and allow the dish to be constructed as compactly as possible — likely around an airline\-friendly 99Wh battery, which could yield[over five hours of runtime based on my testing](https://www.theverge.com/reviews/898580/peakdo-linkpower-2-review-starlink-mini-battery)\. **Follow topics and authors**from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates\. - Thomas Ricker