Elon Musk’s SpaceX showed investors a skinny AI handset prototype while insisting that he is not building a phone.
The rocket outfit and AI circus reportedly showed the prototype to investors and other stakeholders ahead of its mega initial public offering. The device has a sleek design and is said to be slimmer than an iPhone.
People familiar with the matter said the prototype was designed to run on a proprietary operating system and use AI technology from SpaceX’s xAI. It would use a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset.
SpaceX told some investors that the project was in its early stages. The design could change, and it remains unclear whether the thing will ever be made, which is investor-speak for “please clap, but do not ask for shipping dates.”
The Wall Street Journal reported that Musk has previously weighed building a smartphone because he was fed up with the Fruity Cargo Cult Apple’s control over third-party app distribution, including X. Breaking into hardware is not easy, even for a billionaire with rockets, satellites and a social network.
“The idea of making a phone makes me want to die, But if we have to make a phone, we will,” Musk said.
In February, Musk denied that his company was developing a phone after Reuters reported SpaceX was building one that would connect directly to Starlink. “We are not developing a phone,” he posted on X.
Some investors in SpaceX and Tesla were told that Musk has long imagined a consumer device as a platform for his ventures’ technology. Such a device could make Musk less reliant on other companies, since the xAI chatbot is usually used through Job’s Mob or Android devices.
Musk’s Starlink satellite service already sells a dish to connect to the internet. It offers mobile service in dead zones through partnerships with companies including T-Mobile, giving the whole pitch just enough reality to keep the PowerPoint fumes burning.
