You may have seen social media posts or videos about a supposed ‘Tesla Phone’ smartphone built by the electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla. It’s not actually a real phone.
For the past several months, images and videos about a Tesla Phone have made the rounds on social media. It’s usually presented as a simple concept, like all the images of future iPhone models with transparent screens we’ve seen over the years. It’s sometimes described as supporting Starlink satellite connectivity, having a low price point, and including “no censorship.”
However, some posts and videos have framed the Tesla Phone as a real device, mostly just as social media engagement bait. Ironically, much of this misinformation is shared on Twitter/X—the social media platform also owned by Iron Man 2 actor and failed submarine rescuer Elon Musk.
The Tesla Phone is not a real product. Elon Musk mentioned in an interview on The Joe Rogan Experience that Tesla could create a smartphone with its experience building Linux-based software for cars. It’s not in development, and there’s no evidence right now that it’s being worked on by the company.
Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX (where Musk is also the CEO) has been working on satellite connectivity for typical smartphones. However, Starlink/SpaceX has only worked on the hardware going into the satellites, not the modem and antennas going into phones. That part is usually designed by Qualcomm, MediaTek, and other similar companies.
Even if Tesla tried to sell a smartphone, it’s not clear what advantages it would have over a typical Android device or iPhone. Tesla’s quality assurance for its electric vehicles has become worse over time, and building smartphones is an entirely different and expensive challenge. Tesla could use a white-label design manufactured by an existing company, like mobile carriers have done on many occasions for budget devices, but that would make unique hardware and software features less likely.
For now, the Tesla Phone is just an idea for a product, not something in development or available to purchase.
