SpaceX Unveils AI Phone Prototype as Elon Musk Challenges Apple
Elon Musk is advancing his vision of creating an independent ecosystem around his companies by unveiling a prototype AI device through SpaceX. According to a Wall Street Journal report, SpaceX recently presented investors and stakeholders with a slim, phone-like device designed to revolutionize human interaction with artificial intelligence. The device, narrower than an iPhone, runs on a dedicated operating system and integrates AI technology from Musk's AI company xAI, powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon chip.
SpaceX clarified to some investors that the project remains in early development, with design changes possible and no guarantee of commercial production. Representatives from SpaceX and Qualcomm declined to comment on the report. This initiative aligns with Musk's broader ambitions, including expanding SpaceX's global Starlink satellite network, growing its space activities, and advancing AI tools via xAI.
The tech industry has been exploring ways to embed AI into dedicated hardware, from smartphones to smart pins and glasses. Musk has previously considered building a smartphone, partly out of frustration with Apple's control over app distribution, including the X app. Last October, he expressed mixed feelings about making a phone but said, "If we need to make a phone, we will." In February, he denied Reuters' report that SpaceX was developing a phone connecting directly to Starlink satellites.
Investors in SpaceX and Tesla have heard that Musk views a consumer device as a potential platform for his companies' technologies, potentially reducing reliance on Apple and Google, since xAI's chatbot is mainly accessed via iPhone and Android devices. The prototype reportedly embodies Musk's "everything app" concept, inspired by his acquisition of Twitter (now X), resembling Asian super-apps like WeChat and Alipay, which combine payments, food delivery, ride-hailing, and gaming in one platform.
Other companies are also exploring AI consumer devices. OpenAI is developing a family of AI devices, and China's ByteDance launched a smartphone based on its Doubao AI model, though it faces challenges due to competitors restricting access to their services.
