Elon Musk denies a report about SpaceX’s AI phone prototype
The Wall Street Journal reports that SpaceX showed investors a ‘handset-like prototype’ that was slimmer than an iPhone.
The Wall Street Journal reports that SpaceX showed investors a ‘handset-like prototype’ that was slimmer than an iPhone.
by Jul 1, 2026, 8:10 PM UTC
Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photo by Grzegorz Wajda, Getty Images
Emma Roth is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO.
Elon Musk says a report about a SpaceX AI phone prototype is “utterly false.” The report, published on Wednesday by The Wall Street Journal, says SpaceX showed off a “handset-like prototype” to some investors before launching its record-breaking initial public offering in June.
The device was “slimmer than an iPhone,” and they were told it would run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, according to the WSJ. It would also reportedly use its own AI-enabled operating system with features powered by the SpaceX-owned xAI.
Last week, the Financial Times reported that SpaceX chief operating officer Gwynne Shotwell told investors that the company is considering launching a mobile service in the US that would connect to its Starlink satellite network. Meanwhile, some analysts speculate SpaceX could acquire T-Mobile. Starlink is currently SpaceX’s only profitable business.
Musk has brushed off the idea of creating a phone in the past, but didn’t rule it out completely. During an event in Pennsylvania last year, Musk 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.” In February, Musk said SpaceX is “not developing a phone” after Reuters reported that the company is working on a phone for Starlink.
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