Musk's SpaceX Reveals AI-Phone Prototype

 

“Elon Musk's SpaceX has developed a prototype for a handset-like device designed to reshape how humans interact with artificial intelligence that SpaceX has shown investors recently.

 

The rocket and AI company showed the prototype, which features a sleek design slimmer than an iPhone's, to some investors and other stakeholders ahead of the company's initial public offering, people familiar with the matter said.

 

The prototype was designed to run on a proprietary operating system and integrate AI technology from SpaceX's xAI, some of the people said. The device would use a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, they said.

 

SpaceX told some investors the project was at an early stage. The design could change and it is unclear whether such a device will be made.

 

Representatives for SpaceX and Qualcomm didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.

 

The project is a sign of Musk's sprawling ambitions as he builds a leading global satellite connectivity network, grows his rocket company and creates AI tools. AI companies are placing a variety of bets on the future form and functionality of AI-powered devices.

 

The Wall Street Journal has reported that Musk has in the past weighed building a smartphone due to frustration over how Apple controls distribution of third-party apps such as X. It isn't easy, however, for a newcomer to break into the hardware business.

 

"The idea of making a phone makes me want to die," Musk said last October. "But if we have to make a phone, we will."

 

In February, Musk denied that his company was developing a phone, pushing back against a Reuters report that SpaceX was building one that would connect directly to its Starlink satellite network. "We are not developing a phone," he posted on X.

 

Some investors in SpaceX and Tesla were told that Musk has long envisioned a consumer device to serve as a platform for his ventures' technology. A device could also help Musk become less reliant on other companies. Musk's xAI chatbot is typically used via Apple or Android devices.

 

Musk's Starlink satellite service already sells a dish to connect to the internet, and it offers cellphone service in dead zones through partnerships with companies including T-Mobile.

 

The device prototype SpaceX recently showed investors draws on the philosophy behind Musk's "everything app," a concept he championed when acquiring social-media platform Twitter, now X, in 2022, some of the people familiar with the matter said. Often referred to as "super apps," these software programs are popular in Asia and incorporate services that Americans usually access by downloading separate apps.

 

Users on China's WeChat and Alipay -- owned by local technology giants Tencent and Ant, respectively -- tap mini-apps and features available on the platforms to transfer money, order food, book travel and play games. This model has challenged the traditional app-store business.

 

Chinese companies are turning to AI to reinvent this super-app model. They are integrating AI agents into existing super apps or trying to turn popular AI chatbots into the nucleus of new everything apps.

 

Companies in the U.S. and China have also explored specialized hardware such as smartphones, pins or headsets to anchor these services.

 

OpenAI is developing a family of AI devices. Similarly, China's ByteDance released a smartphone powered by its ChatGPT-like AI model Doubao, designed to be capable of helping users shop and book tickets across various platforms. However, that ambition has faced hurdles after competitors restricted the ByteDance device's access to their services.” [1]

 

1. Musk's SpaceX Reveals AI-Phone Prototype. Huang, Raffaele; Haggin, Patience.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 02 July 2026: B1.