Home
News
You are here

A Tesla phone isn't coming unless Elon Musk considers Apple and Google 'bad'

0comments

By Daniel Petrov

Published: Nov 06, 2024, 4:20 AM

Android

Image credit: Concept Design DR

Elon Musk sat with Joe Rogan in a pre-election podcast edition and divulged some of his intentions around Tesla's mythical smartphone that has been years in the rumor mill. While Tesla's CEO didn't deny that such a project has been in the planning, he said that the company will only make one if it is forced to do it.

Elon clarified what market conditions would have to converge in order to make Tesla consider making and selling its own phone, though, such as "bad things" in terms of security or censorship that Apple and Google would start doing.

The elusive handset has been appearing on and off as an imminent release for years now, but it has stayed vaporware with no concrete prototypes or engineering samples ever unearthed, though Elon Musk has previously given some indications that he has at least entertained the idea.

It is not out of the question
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 11, 2024

There have been plenty of concepts and wacky renders of a Tesla phone, but Tesla has seemingly never considered this as a serious project. Still, when Apple Intelligence was announced with OpenAI's ChatGPT partnership for the iPhone, Musk sounded off that he doesn't want "this creepy spyware or all Apple devices will be banned from the premises of my companies."

While this may be constituted as another of Musk's typical rants, since he is on bad terms with OpenAI's team due to the differences of opinion you see in the email exchange below, it shows one of the conditions that would force Tesla to consider making its own phone.

Elon Musk's email exchange with Ilya Sutskever | Image credit – OpenAI

In any case, another use case scenario for a Tesla phone would be communicating with the automaker's vehicles better. Vaunted Chinese electric car company NIO, for example, made its own handset with some special features like touchless unlock or start, as well as dedicated software. It also partnered with Oppo to do the same on its handsets, so Tesla's potential work on such a project could circle down that path as well.

$349

$799

$450 off (56%)

Mint Mobile now sells the Google Pixel 10 with a massive $450 discount. The promo is available on select color variants with 128GB of storage. You also get a 12-month unlimited data plan for $180 instead of $360.

Buy at Mint Mobile

$524

$999

$475 off (48%)

Grab the pro-grade, compact Pixel 10 Pro at Mint Mobile with a 12-month unlimited plan, and you can save a huge $475. The data plan comes with a discount, too: 50% off, to be exact.

Buy at Mint Mobile

$499

$1199

$700 off (58%)

The high-end Gemini AI-enhanced Pixel 10 Pro XL is now available with a mind-blowing discount. You can now save $700 on the phone, plus 50% off unlimited 12-month plans.

Buy at Mint Mobile

$1399

$1799

$400 off (22%)

The foldable Pixel 10 Pro Fold is another standout holiday offer. Right now, you can get the device for $400 off at Mint Mobile. On top of that, you save $180 on 12-month unlimited data plans.

Buy at Mint Mobile

View Full Bio

Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.