The idea of an AI-powered device that’s not a smartphone is weird, but not unheard of. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, SpaceX has already shown investors an early prototype of one.
The report says that Elon Musk’s SpaceX — which includes the social media platform X and the artificial intelligence startup xAI — has developed a handset-like device that’s sleeker and slimmer than an iPhone and runs a proprietary operating system that integrates xAI’s own technologies. The device reportedly runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, a common feature in many Android phones today.
On Thursday, Musk publicly denied the existence of such a device, calling the claims “utterly false” in a post on X.
In February, Musk publicly stated that a phone was not being developed. Earlier, during an event last October, Musk said, “the idea of making a phone makes me want to die,” while adding, “if we have to make a phone, we will.” However, there’s enough rumored evidence to believe that such a device may exist, even if Musk refuses to call it a phone.
SpaceX began being publicly traded earlier this month. Whether we see a device with its branding remains to be seen, but it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise.
SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A phone by any other name?
Artificial intelligence is already everywhere on our smartphones, but tech companies are racing to build entirely new AI gadgets. OpenAI and Jony Ive are said to be working on a screenless AI device that might be worn on your ear as an always-on assistant.
In a world saturated with “smart” and AI technologies, creating a new device running a different operating system would free Musk from the potential restrictions imposed by Apple and Google’s ecosystems. It could allow SpaceX and xAI to rely on their own technology rather than the big players.
And given Apple and Google’s stranglehold on the smartphone industry, breaking away from the phone format would also let SpaceX’s new device escape strict app store rules.
When shown to institutional investors, SpaceX reportedly said the device was in the early stages of development and that the design could change over time. Although it’s not called a “phone,” it’s logical to assume the device could connect to SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network for connectivity.
In fact, while a physical smartphone has been denied, a branded consumer mobile service is likely. Last week, The Financial Times reported that SpaceX is actively weighing a Starlink-branded retail mobile plan, directly competing with T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon.
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