SpaceX’s new Starlink V5 dish gets smaller and thriftier

Starlink V5 trims size, weight, and watts

SpaceX has rolled out Starlink V5, a new satellite internet kit built around a smaller, more power-efficient dish than the previous generation.

The trade-off: peak download speeds edge down slightly, from 400+ Mbps on the older hardware to 375+ Mbps on V5.

Smaller footprint, much lighter hardware

The V5 hardware is a clear shrink from the Starlink V4 dish launched in 2023.

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• V4 dimensions: 594 x 383 x 39.7 mm
• V5 dimensions: 384 x 306 x 34 mm
• V4 weight: 2.9 kg
• V5 weight: 1.1 kg

That puts the new dish at nearly a third of the previous weight, with a noticeably reduced footprint that should be easier to mount and move.

Big power savings

Starlink V5 also cuts power consumption by roughly half, a key change for off-grid and constrained setups.

• V4 average power draw: 75–100 W
• V5 average power draw: 35–50 W

The lower power envelope makes the new kit more attractive for users on battery, solar, or limited circuits, even with the slight reduction in advertised speeds.

Availability and limitations

SpaceX says the Starlink V5 kit is available starting today in “select areas” in the U.S. The company did not specify which locations qualify but said that as production scales, V5 will roll out to “additional areas.”

There is one notable restriction: Starlink V5 is not intended for in-motion use. SpaceX directs users who want connectivity on the move to wait for the Starlink Mini kit, which Elon Musk briefly demoed in June.

For now, V5 targets fixed installations that care more about power and size than squeezing out the last few megabits of download speed.