Fans of Elon Musk have been waiting for additional information about what has been unofficially termed the Tesla Phone or the Tesla Pi Phone since he tweeted about it in November 2022. There is no official news on the Tesla Pi Phone beyond the initial tweet (which didn’t provide much information even when it was published). There are many speculations about smartphones, despite the fact that manufacturers usually keep their cards close to their chest until it’s time to release the product to the public.
The conception of the Tesla Phone
Numerous suspected Tesla Phone layouts exist, but the trouble is that they’re all just fan theory. Manufacturers haven’t leaked any information, and there have been no hints about upcoming hardware.
The majority of fan-made concepts for the Tesla Phone have a square form factor, a few buttons on the corners, and three to four rear cameras, just like the current top-tier flagships from Google, Apple, and Samsung.
Tesla Model Pi Smartphone
— Pi® (@Pi_314_NEG) November 15, 2021
What about the trademark registration? #elonmusk #tesla #modelpi #smartphone #trademark pic.twitter.com/nVVKiRpqCk
Even if Elon Musk were to bankroll a phone’s production by Tesla (which there’s no evidence to suggest would happen), the phone would likely adhere to Tesla’s established aesthetic. Therefore, it follows that the smartphone will have a classy, understated appearance, similar to that of a high-end electronic gadget.
The above image is a fan-created depiction by Antonio De Rosa, and it offers a fascinating glimpse into what a Tesla Phone might look like. It features a quad-camera system, metal construction, and a large Tesla logo. This page features several further renderings of potential Tesla Phone designs. While entertaining to peruse, they are not founded on any verifiable rumours or leaks.
Specifications of the Tesla Phone
The same can be said about the Tesla Pi Phone’s specifications, which, like everything else about the device, have been reduced to fan guesswork at best. One of the only big features that may make this phone stand out from the rest of the main smartphones on the market today is the rumour that it will operate on one of Telsa’s octa-core processors used to run the screens inside the company’s cars.
When the Tesla Phone comes up in discussion, there are a few persistent rumours that Tesla enthusiasts like to repeat. Many people think that a Tesla Pi Phone would be able to use Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service and recharge its battery using solar power. Yes, they’re fascinating in theory, but that’s all they are for now: theory.
The Tesla Phone App
Fan speculation is that the Tesla Pi will use a new operating system named “TeslaOS,” which does not exist at the present time. Computers in Teslas use a modified version of Linux, which isn’t actually named TeslaOS. There are Linux phones out there, such the Pinephone and the Volla Phone, but they haven’t caught on as AndroidOS has. It’s possible that the first truly popular device to use Linux may be the Tesla Pi if it were to run on the same version of the operating system as Tesla automobiles do. But there’s none evidence to support the idea that this is so.
If the Tesla Phone is in development, Android could just as easily power it. The OS is adaptable enough to run on a wide variety of devices, while still retaining the distinctive flavour of each phone makers. Musk, on the other hand, claims to have zero interest in challenging the “duopoly” he believes Google and Apple have on the mobile market, thus his use of Android would be disingenuous. Musk, on the other hand, changes his mind frequently about things, so one can never be sure how things will turn up with him involved.
Specifics on when and how much the Tesla phone will cost
The Tesla Phone has not yet been given a formal release date. Despite the lack of evidence, people continue to insist that the release date is in the early part of 2023. In fact, there is far more evidence suggesting that the introduction of the Tesla Pi Phone, if it is coming at all, will be considerably later. If Musk is planning to release his own smartphone and initially had the notion to do so in late November 2022, we shouldn’t expect it to debut until at least 2024.
Elon Musk and the companies he now owns lack the expertise of industry leaders like Google, Samsung, and Apple, which each release a new flagship smartphone each year. The Tesla Phone’s release date could be pushed back even further if a brand-new operating system is also planned. Ultimately, there is no evidence to support the idea that the Tesla Pi Phone will be released soon, if at all.
Also, how much does Tesla’s phone cost? It seems reasonable to assume that the price will be at least $1,000, in line with the market price of today’s top-tier smartphones. However, it’s rather futile to speculate about the Tesla Phone’s price at this stage.
Why the Tesla phone isn’t going to happen
Elon Musk bought Twitter and installed himself as CEO, and then he instituted a number of (at best, contentious) modifications to the platform and its policies. To achieve this goal, he has granted “amnesty” to users whose accounts had been suspended for violating Twitter’s earlier terms of service, including white supremacists, conspiracy theorists, and others.
Musk stated on Twitter that Apple has “threatening to withhold Twitter from its App Store” without providing a reason. Additionally, Twitter’s CEO stated that Apple has “largely stopped advertising” on the social media platform, though he did not specify why. The wealthiest guy in the world doesn’t seem to get why Apple would want to move away from the fire he’s starting on Twitter.
Musk threatened to create a “alternative phone” in response to a tweet from podcaster Liz Wheeler, who asked what would happen if Apple and Google removed the Twitter app from their respective app stores. Under his tweet, many people have encouraged him by commenting how awesome his concept is.
If Apple & Google boot Twitter from their app stores, @elonmusk should produce his own smartphone. Half the country would happily ditch the biased, snooping iPhone & Android. The man builds rockets to Mars, a silly little smartphone should be easy, right?
— Liz Wheeler (@Liz_Wheeler) November 25, 2022
If by “excellent concept,” the comments mean “total failure,” then the statement is correct. Since, in Wheeler’s words, “the man makes rockets to Mars” (which he does not), “a foolish little smartphone should be easy, right?” Wrong.
According to Elon Musk, the smartphone market is a “duopoly” controlled by Apple and Google. Even while the two companies control a sizable portion of the market, they are hardly the only big players in the smartphone sector. Some of the most well-known brands in the world today are Samsung, Tecno, Huawei, Motorola, Oppo, OnePlus, and many others. The United States and Europe have not embraced them (with the exception of Samsung) in the same manner that Apple and Google have. This is not the case in Asia and Africa, though.
Musk seems to be perfectly at ease operating from a position of fundamental misunderstanding due to his little knowledge of the smartphone market. If Elon Musk were to release a smartphone in the future, it would have to go up against more than just Apple and Google. In its place is a crowded worldwide market stocked with high-quality products from well-established corporations that are also committed to continual innovation in the field.
There is little reason to believe that a phone produced by a company owned by Musk would be successful given his track record of underwhelming success with the majority of the companies he owns, such as Twitter (which, according to internal reports, may be close to bankruptcy), the Boring Company (which has produced little to no results), and Neuralink (which has proposed a ridiculous $10 million implant surgery). There is an obvious exception in Tesla’s case, but the company seems to run smoothly even without Musk’s involvement. Musk’s tendency to make exaggerated claims about the future success of his companies, Tesla included, gives the impression that the company is unreliable and subject to the whims of a child who is constantly coming up with new ideas.
Musk does have one valid point, however: Apple and Google do have a near-monopoly on the mobile app industry on iOS and Android. The app would quickly perish if Twitter were removed from their platforms, as users would likely switch to one of the many other social media apps available.
If this were to occur, rumours have it that Musk would order the development of a “alternative smartphone” that would highlight Twitter as a primary feature. However, by that time, Twitter would be entirely doomed, save among its browser users, who are mainly obstinate Elon Musk devotees. As a result, it wouldn’t be much of a selling point to the wider public, who would have moved on to other apps.
Moreover, the Musk/Tesla phone would still need to compete with the rest of the smartphone industry in order to be successful; doing so would require investing years and millions of dollars (complete with a brand new operating system and app store). One-man-show smartphone startups like Carl Pei’s Nothing have tried to position themselves as major competitors to Apple and Google, but their devices have ultimately proven to be too specialised to make a dent in the market.
Microsoft’s attempt to forge its own path, Windows Phone, was doomed to failure following its initial launch less than a decade ago. What makes you believe Musk may succeed where Microsoft failed?
Musk would be asking a lot of his supporters to buy his new smartphone instead of the iPhone, Pixel, or Galaxy phones they are now using.
Even though Musk has a very devoted fan base, they probably won’t be able to fund a new entrant into the mobile sector, let alone one that can compete with Apple and Google. Musk would be asking a lot of his followers to fork over their cash to buy his new smartphone if he asked them to stop using their iPhones, Pixels, or Galaxy phones.
Musk is often making lofty promises to his supporters. On the other hand, these assurances are frequently broken. He said that by now, more than ten years later, mankind would be walking on Mars. To a similar extent, I wouldn’t be surprised if the much-touted Tesla Phone was just another hoax.
Even if Apple and Google removed Tesla’s and SpaceX’s apps from their app stores, Musk seems to be preoccupied with Twitter’s financial woes at the moment, making it unlikely that he would dive headfirst into the smartphone business. Simply adhering to the companies’ app store regulations regarding hate speech and pornographic content seems like a much easier and cheaper approach. Yet, what do I know? Elon Musk coerced me into buying Twitter, not me.
