Tushar Mehta / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Elon Musk’s SpaceX may build its own phone with satellite internet connectivity.
- The company is reportedly looking to expand to other products, including mobile devices.
- The device may differ from traditional smartphones, but details on that are currently limited.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX recently acquired xAI, making it the highest-valued private company yet. But the rocket maker does not want to stop there, and is now exploring other markets for products even loosely related to space.
After dominating satellite-based internet and direct-to-cell services with its Starlink venture, SpaceX may expand into making its own smartphones, Reuters reported earlier today. The phone could feature built-in hardware to use Starlink’s internet services, offer direct device-to-device connectivity, and support SpaceX’s recently launched Stargaze space-tracking service.
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These plans are not new, and the company has reportedly had them “for years.” In fact, Musk recently fueled the speculation by responding to a post on X about a SpaceX-branded phone. “Not out of the question,” Musk said, while adding it would be “a very different device than current phones.” It’s natural to expect that, regardless of its form, the device would also serve as a portal to access xAI and help realize Musk’s earlier vision of expanding X into an “everything app,” even though it has currently been reduced to a platform for generating pornographic images at users’ requests.
The phone could also be seen as a vital vehicle for Starlink’s future under SpaceX. According to Reuters‘ sources, Starlink accounts for 50–80% of SpaceX’s profit, and the mobile device could further expand that share, especially as the company eyes a public listing to fuel Musk’s dream of launching AI data centers into space and building factories on the Moon.
Starlink’s network of satellites currently powers direct-to-device cellular services for T-Mobile, and SpaceX could expand its partnership with other carriers to eventually expand coverage “everywhere on Earth,” Musk hinted while announcing the xAI acquisition. It may also be mulling its own carrier service, as previously hinted.
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