Elon Musk joined Joe Rogan for a podcast before the election, where he discussed Tesla’s rumored smartphone—a project that’s been speculated about for years. Musk didn’t deny Tesla might have a phone in mind, but he clarified that they’d only make one if absolutely necessary.
According to Musk, Tesla would consider making a phone only if Apple or Google started doing “bad things,” like compromising user security or increasing censorship.
Despite years of speculation, no prototypes or actual plans for a Tesla phone have been found. Musk has hinted at the idea before, and while fans have created many concept designs, Tesla doesn’t seem to view it as a real project.
Recently, when Apple announced its partnership with OpenAI’s ChatGPT for the iPhone, Musk reacted strongly, saying he didn’t want “creepy spyware” and would ban Apple devices from his companies if needed. Although this may sound like one of Musk’s usual complaints, it highlights a situation that could push Tesla to make its own phone.
