SpaceX’s Starlink has officially unveiled its next-generation V5 kit, introducing a redesigned satellite internet dish that prioritises portability and power efficiency over outright performance. While the new hardware retains support for high-bandwidth applications such as 4K streaming, video conferencing and cloud gaming, its biggest improvements come in the form of a lighter design and substantially lower power consumption.

According to Starlink, the V5 kit is capable of download speeds of up to 375Mbps, making it suitable for everyday residential internet use across multiple connected devices. The company says availability will follow as production ramps up, although the hardware is currently limited to selected markets.

Smaller, Lighter, And More Efficient

The most noticeable change with the V5 kit is its physical redesign. The new dish weighs just 1.1kg, down significantly from the V4’s 2.9kg, making it almost as light as the Starlink Mini. Despite the reduced weight, Starlink notes that the V5 is designed for fixed installations and is not intended for in-motion use.

Power efficiency has also seen a major improvement, where the V5 is said to consume between 35W and 50W during normal operation, roughly half of the V4’s typical 75W to 100W power draw. This makes it a more attractive option for users relying on solar power or other off-grid setups where energy efficiency is a priority.

Not A Direct Replacement For The V4

Interestingly, based on the official spec sheet, the V5 doesn’t appear to be a straightforward successor to the V4. While the new hardware is lighter and more efficient, its advertised maximum download speed of 375Mbps is slightly lower than the V4’s stated 400Mbps capability.

In the US, the V5 kit is presently offered only with the entry-level Residential 100Mbps plan, while customers subscribing to the faster Residential 200Mbps and Residential Max plans continue to receive the V4 dish. This suggests that SpaceX is treating the V5 as an alternative focused on efficiency and ease of deployment rather than replacing the V4 outright.

Availability

For now, the Starlink V5 kit is only available in select parts of the US, with pricing for the new hardware yet to be disclosed at the time of writing. Speaking to a local Starlink distributor, we have learned that the V5 kit has not yet been introduced in Malaysia, while the country’s existing Starlink plans remain unchanged.

As mentioned earlier, Starlink has said that the V5 will gradually roll out to more markets as production ramps up, meaning Malaysia could receive the more power-efficient hardware in the future. However, it may not happen anytime soon, as the Starlink Mini only made its Malaysian debut more than a year after its global introduction in June 2024.

(Source: Starlink [1] [2])

Updated 11:14 am, Wed, 15 July 26