According to the WSJ, the device was described to investors as being “slimmer than an iPhone” and expected to run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip. It would also reportedly feature a proprietary AI-focused operating system, with some capabilities powered by xAI, the artificial intelligence company owned by SpaceX.
The renewed attention comes as SpaceX appears to be weighing a broader push into mobile connectivity. Last week, the Financial Times reported that SpaceX chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell told investors the company is exploring a US mobile service that would link directly to its Starlink satellite network. Some analysts have gone further, speculating that SpaceX could even look at acquiring T-Mobile. Starlink remains SpaceX’s only profitable business.
Musk, however, has repeatedly played down the prospect of building a phone, while stopping short of ruling it out entirely. At an event in Pennsylvania last year, he said, “the idea of making a phone makes me want to die,” though he added, “if we have to make a phone, we will, but we will aspire not to make a phone.” In February, Musk again pushed back after Reuters reported that SpaceX was developing a phone for Starlink, saying the company is “not developing a phone.”
