Elon Musk Denies SpaceX AI Handset Prototype Report, Calls It “Utterly False”

Elon Musk denied a Wall Street Journal report that SpaceX showed investors a “handset-like prototype” that was “slimmer than an iPhone,” calling it “utterly false.”

“Apple isn’t the only company with AI-focused products in the works”

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The Verge said Musk’s denial came after the Journal reported the device was shown before SpaceX’s record-breaking initial public offering in June and would run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip with an AI-enabled operating system powered by xAI.

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The Wall Street Journal report, as relayed by The Verge, also described the prototype as slimmer than an iPhone and tied to SpaceX’s own AI-enabled operating system.

The Verge further noted that Musk has brushed off the idea of creating a phone in the past, including a Pennsylvania event where he said, “the idea of making a phone makes me want to die,” but added, “if we have to make a phone, we will, but we will aspire not to make a phone.”

The Wall Street Journal’s account, as summarized by The Verge, said SpaceX told investors the prototype would use a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip and a proprietary operating system with AI features powered by xAI.

The Verge also pointed to a separate thread of investor-facing discussion, saying last week the Financial Times reported SpaceX chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell told investors the company is considering launching a mobile service in the US that would connect to its Starlink satellite network.

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In parallel, The Verge said some analysts speculate SpaceX could acquire T-Mobile, and it added that Starlink is currently SpaceX’s only profitable business.

MacRumors similarly described the device as a “handset-like device designed to reshape how humans interact with artificial intelligence,” and said it runs a proprietary operating system with a Qualcomm chipset and integrates AI tech from xAI, while also emphasizing that the project was in the early stages and the final design could change.

Forbes said Musk called the reporting “utterly false” after the Wall Street Journal reported SpaceX showed some investors a prototype similar to an iPhone but “slimmer,” designed to run on SpaceX’s proprietary operating system and use AI technology from xAI and chips from Qualcomm.

“Elon Musk’s SpaceX has shown investors a prototype of a handset-like AI device, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal”

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Forbes also emphasized that the device was “reportedly still in a prototype phase—no name for the object has been reported, and it is unclear if it will ever be released to the public,” while noting Musk has previously stated “we are not developing a phone” after a Reuters report in February.

The Verge framed the denial as part of a broader set of mobile and connectivity questions, including the reported consideration of a US mobile service tied to Starlink and the speculation about a possible T-Mobile acquisition.

In the same dispute, Let’s Data Science said the Journal report was “at an early stage with an evolving design and no certainty it would be built,” and Reuters reported SpaceX and Qualcomm did not immediately respond to requests for comment.