Elon Musk-helmed Tesla and SpaceX have been pushing the boundaries of technology in the automotive, energy, and space industry. We have seen many instances of Musk’s extraordinary vision making possible what was deemed thus far as futuristic imagination. With that in context, when a rumor that a “Tesla Pi phone” with revolutionary features is due to launch by the end of this year started floating around, it gained many “believers”. As usual, there were skeptics who raised their eyebrows high as well. Has Tesla really stepped foot into the smartphone industry? Let’s break down the claims and examine the facts of the case to verify the authenticity of the rumor. Is Tesla Pi Phone news real or fake?
The so-called Tesla Pi phone is touted to have three revolutionary features.
- A solar battery that needs no charging
- Internet connection via Starlink network
- Compatibility with Earth, Moon, and Mars
Solar batteries are no strangers to us at this point. But a solar-powered phone battery that automatically charges and never runs out of charge is not yet a reality. Current technology has reached only so far as batteries that require periodic charging. This particular part of the rumor seems to be leveraging Tesla’s advancements in automobile batteries for electric vehicles, and energy storage for believability. So, as attractive as this idea sounds, for now, such a technology remains in the realm of imagination.
Starlink is a satellite internet network developed by Elon Musk’s company SpaceX using low-Earth-orbit satellites. It aims to extend broadband network connectivity to remote areas. Across the globe, Starlink has 4 million users and has applications in education, health services and connectivity during natural disasters. Is Internet connection on mobile phones with Starlink a possibility? Perhaps in the future. Currently, SpaceX has not achieved such a development with its revolutionary project Starlink. We still have to rely on mobile towers for our internet connection.
Could the rumored Tesla Pi phone be compatible with planets other than the Earth? This one should be the most outlandish claim of the three. Sure, Musk has made huge headway when it comes to his vision of settling on and colonizing Mars. However given that Occupy Mars is still an ongoing project, it is too early for a multi-planetary mobile phone to be in the pipeline for SpaceX or Tesla. Tesla will by our estimates need many more years to set up the pre-requisites for mobile connection on Mars and Moon.
The creators of the rumor have even come up with a poster of Elon Musk holding a phone with the Tesla logo and π denoting the model, showing rumor creators will go to any lengths to make their stories convincing.
However, Elon Musk himself has come forward clarifying that he has no plans to launch a smartphone. He gave his statement during a town hall Q&A in Philadelphia on October 18. According to Musk, smartwatches and phones are yesterday’s technology and the future lies in Neuralinks. Neuralink is a neurotechnology company founded by Musk and is responsible for developing implantable brain-computer interfaces. Musk commented that he hopes he won’t ever have to make a phone reasoning it’s too much work. He even went on to say that the idea of making a phone makes him want to die. He reiterated that he dreads having to make a phone and will only do so if it becomes a necessity. Elon Musk added that companies like Apple, Google and Android need to make sure they don’t have a heavy hand in the app store so that they won’t be creating a forcing function for there to be a competitor.
So to conclude, the news of Tesla releasing a smartphone named Tesla Pi Phone with revolutionary features like automatically charging the battery, interplanetary compatibility, and Starlink network connectivity is purely fiction– a creation of a bored individual somewhere with an imaginative mind that s/he is putting to wrong use.
