The Tesla Phone or the Tesla Pi phone is the latest buzz in the market. Making headlines on almost every Tesla observer’s website and socials. The Tesla Pi Phone came into existence on the 25th of November.
When a Twitter user prompted Elon Musk to make his phone if Google and Apple unfavorably regulate their App Store and Play Store respectively. The Tesla phone was born when Elon musk agreed that there is a possibility that he might make that happen.
Since then, the markets have been folded with ‘leaked specs’ and speculations. We have compiled all the publicly available information on the internet and summarised it here. So here is everything we know about the Tesla phone and if it’s even real.
What Is The Tesla Phone?
The Tesla Phone or the Tesla Pi phone is a proposed phone which is to be made by the electric car manufacturer Tesla. It is rumored to be fitted with a custom Tesla operating system meant to run exclusively on the Tesla phone and a host of other exclusive features like Starlink-enabled antennas.
The Tesla Phone came in as the most competent potential market disruptor in the mobile operating system industry which is currently run by a Google and Apple duopoly.
Origin of the Phone
After Elon Musk took over Twitter earlier last year, in his ‘free speech’ crusade. He has been swarmed with hundreds, if not thousands, of regulatory bylaws in his quest to make the platform what he defines to be ‘free’. One such setback was when one of Apple’s App Store privacy policies was violated by Twitter under the new administration back in November 2022. This led to Apple threatening to remove Twitter from its App Store. Google too followed Apple’s lead.
Faced with the possibility of bankruptcy, as shown by Twitter’s internal report, the threat of being removed from the App Store could mean an end to Twitter. As people would jump ship to one of the hundreds of other social media apps available. Elon decided that he might fight the threat by making a smartphone of his own. Equipped with its operating system which is not tied down by moderation policies and privacy policies. Elon envisions this phone to be the vanguard of free speech.
However, the talk has since died down. A deal with Apple and internal development issues has indefinitely postponed the release of the Tesla Pi phone.
Tesla Pi Features – Rumors
The features of an unreleased Tesla Phone, just like any other unreleased phone, are purely speculative. However, we have compiled the ‘rumored’ features for the Tesla Pi Phone here:
- Starlink: Rumors have it that the Tesla Phone would have a Starlink-enabled satellite antenna built in. This means that you could use the internet on the Tesla phone from anywhere in the world.
- Neuralink: The first Neuralink Chips are rumored to be released in the 3rd quarter of 2023. And with the Tesla Phone launching later this year. One can only speculate that Elon Musk enables Neuralink support on the devices.
- Tesla Vehicle Support: It only makes sense that the Tesla Phone would come with integrated remote vehicle controls for Tesla owners. This can help you remotely track and lock/unlock your Tesla from a considerable distance. The Tesla Phone can also double down as your car’s infotainment remote. Honestly, the possibilities are endless.
- Solar Charging: The Tesla Phone is rumored to be made with adventurers and all-weather accessibility in mind. With solar charging capabilities, it can be quickly charged in places without electricity. This complements the Starlink antenna. When combined, both of them can act together and make the Tesla phone the best backpacker phone available in the market.
When Will The Tesla Phone Release?
The Tesla Phone release, as of March 2023, has been indefinitely postponed. Twitter and Apple reached an agreement on December 1st, 2022 when Elon Musk Visited Apple’s mothership and had a one-on-one meeting with Apple’s CEO Tim Cook. Later Musk admitted that they had a fruitful meeting where they were able to solve the problems and reached a solution.
Industry speculators on the other hand are pessimistic about the Tesla Phone. Often claiming that such a phone would not make sense. You see if Tesla wanted to make a phone with their own custom OS. Then they would also have to develop an entire ecosystem to sustain it. We all witnessed Windows 8 phone OS crash and burn in the earlier half of the last decade. Speculators speculate a similar outcome should Tesla try to do the same.
Moreover, they would have to compete with the entire smartphone industry valued over a trillion dollars and with hundreds of companies already incorporated in the iOS-Android ecosystem. Making a phone with a custom OS is simply not viable. Under these circumstances, it would only make sense if Tesla made a deal with Google, to make a derivative of Android but with Tesla’s policies in mind. Which is very unlikely to happen.
However, it is rumored that Tesla will launch its phone later this year. Some speculators predict that the Tesla phone will be launched in December 2023.
Tesla Phone Price Rumors
In the absence of any official announcements from Tesla or Elon Musk, it’s safe to assume that the Tesla phone won’t come with an affordable price tag. Given the incorporation of cutting-edge features and advanced technology, the initial models of the phone are likely to be positioned at a premium.
Moreover, when factoring in the research and development expenses, particularly for emerging technologies like Starlink antennas, the overall cost is expected to rise significantly. With these substantial overhead costs, our estimation suggests that the initial models of the Tesla phone could be priced at a minimum of $1200 or even higher.
Conclusion
The Tesla Phone is perhaps one of the products that came out of the most anticipated
Elon Musk mind. If it ends up hitting the market, it will disrupt the smartphone market in a similar way that Tesla cars disrupted the automobile industry. But more importantly, the Tesla phone will set the precedence for a truly free platform that advocates free speech. And that I believe will be unprecedented.
Anand is passionate about exploring a wide range of topics, from technology to lifestyle. When he’s not writing, you can find him brainstorming new ideas and taking on fresh challenges. Anand is always eager to learn and grow in his journey as a writer.
