SpaceX AI device prototype: What we know so far

Elon Musk's space exploration and AI company SpaceX may be looking to compete with Apple and the iPhone, even though Musk has denied the reports.

SpaceX has been showing off a prototype of a "handset-like device" to investors recently, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal.

The device is reportedly focused on bringing AI capabilities to users, running on the company's own operating system and integrating xAI's technology to power its AI features. It's been described as having a "sleek design" and being "slimmer than an iPhone." The device is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipset.

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However, Musk weighed in on the Wall Street Journal report, calling it "utterly false" on his social media platform, X, without elaborating any further.

Musk has previously denied reports from earlier this year that SpaceX was working on a phone that would connect directly to Starlink satellites. 

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"We are not developing a phone," Musk said in a reply on X, directed at Reuters' report that the company was developing a Starlink phone.

However, this time around, the Wall Street Journal's sources claim that there is a prototype that has been physically shown to investors.

Musk has previously voiced his dissatisfaction with Apple's iPhone and its dominance in the mobile market. 

"Man, I sure hope we don't have to make a phone," Musk said at a town hall event in October 2024. "That's a lot of work."

"The idea of making a phone makes me want to die," he continued. "But if we have to make a phone, we will. But we will aspire not to make a phone."

It's possible that Musk doesn't view SpaceX's handheld device as a smartphone, as it seems more like an AI device. It's also possible that the device does have traditional smartphone functionality and Musk is just trying to deny its existence.

According to this most recent report, SpaceX informed investors that the device is in an early stage, so things can change, including whether it ever even reaches the public.