Tesla's Foray Into Phones: Speculations on Cost, Features, and Launch Date Revealed

Tesla’s Foray Into Phones: Speculations on Cost, Features, and Launch Date Revealed

In This Article

There’s plenty of speculation about a potential Tesla phone, rumored to be called Model Pi or P. However, after researching all the rumors and using some common sense, I’m convinced the evidence isn’t there. Still, it’s interesting to consider what a smartphone from this highly successful automaker might look like.

Tesla is making a robot. Here’s what we know

When Will the Tesla Phone Be Released?

Tesla has a reputation for introducing unconventional yet fitting products, such as the Cybertruck-inspired EV for kids and a stainless steel whistle. So, it wouldn’t surprise me if news broke that Tesla is coming out with a phone. The problem is there isn’t any reliable news to back this up!

There are a few reasons I’m suspicious this phone is due for an actual release:

Most of the rumors come from anADR Studio Design YouTube video from 2021. But they clearly state those are the designer’s_ideas_ , not real leaks or details from Tesla. Most of the stories around this topic that I’ve seen appear to be based on just that one source.
We’ll get into these more below, but the ideas for this phone are a bit too advanced to be realistic right now, likeNeuralink support and connectivity on… Mars. Those capabilities don’t have to be in the phone’s first iteration, so a device could still be in the works without them. But being skeptical is reasonable when those ideas are thrown around this early.
If one of the distant side effects or even plans of brain-connected technology like Neuralink is to phase out phones altogether, putting work into a phone would be counterproductive.

If those reasons aren’t enough, considerthis comment from Telsa’s CEO on the future of smartphones :

Smartwatches & phones are yesterday’s technology, Neuralinks are the future.

Musk_is_ on record saying he will “make an alternative phone” in response to a post about X (then called Twitter) being removed from Apple and Google app stores.

Also, in response to an X comment about Tesla making a “Grok phone,” Musk said they“might need to do that” . Grok is a chatbot developed by Musk’s company xAI.

Lifewire’s Release Date Estimate

We’ll take Musk’s Neuralink tweet as evidence that these rumors of a phone are simply fantasies. Tesla could release a phone in the future, but there’s no reason to believe it’ll happen with the information we currently have. If this phone is genuinely being worked on in secret, and_every_ rumor is accurate, there’s little chance we’d see it until closer to 2030.

Tesla Phone Price Rumors

A phone with all the advanced tech described below would cost more than a few thousand dollars. Subsequent versions could come down in price as more people start using the technology, but I wouldn’t expect the first iteration to be affordable for most people.

Assuming the phone is real (again, there’s no reason to believe so) and that it would start relatively basic with just a few of the rumored features, a Tesla-branded phone might cost $800-$1,200.

Pre-Order Information

An announcement would likely come many months before the phone’s official release, so pre-orders could start early. But without a release date to reference, nobody has any idea when pre-orders for Tesla Pi 5G could start, or if they ever will.

The Best Places to Buy Phones in 2024

Tesla Pi 5G Features

Neuralink app concept.

Neuralink

Considering Tesla’s over-the-top features in their existing products, like the Cybertruck’s nearly impenetrable exoskeleton and bioweapon defense mode in some of their other vehicles, the rumors about this phone aren’t surprising.

Depending on its features, I could see it falling in the rugged smartphone category, but as these mockups show off, it could also be designed as a sleek, premium phone with Tesla owners in mind.

Original rendering by Antonio DeRosa/ADR Studio.

Here’s what I’ve seen:

Satellite internet : Modern phones come with5G , so while a Tesla 5G phone makes sense, there’s also SpaceX’s space-based internet service,Starlink , that the company could choose to use (Musk is the CEO of both). But they’d have to find a way to not only conceal the bulky antenna satellite phones have but guarantee good service from such a small device. One theory is it would work where there’s already a Starlink base, like in a building or, if it ever happens, a Tesla car fitted with the appropriate antenna.
Vehicle control : There’s already a Tesla app for phones to perform basic car functions: lock/unlock the car, control media playback, and summon the vehicle. This app would most assuredly be preinstalled on the phone, if not built-in to the operating system, for easy access directly from the lock screen or via external buttons. It’s also possible the app would offer unique options only to Tesla phone owners.
Solar charging : Tesla manufactures solar panels and vehicles, so this isn’t a far-fetched idea. It’s unlikely the phone would rely_only_ on solar, but it could have a case that enables some amount of solar charging.
Astrophotography : Current phones already useAI and powerful cameras to help when photographing the night sky. Add that functionality to SpaceX’s extraterrestrial focus that would inevitably bleed over into this phone, and you have a device capable of great photos of astronomical objects.
Crypto mining : Another hearsay is it’ll mine cryptocurrency. Musk has been public about cryptocurrencies in the past, so it’s not unreasonable to assume he’d want to embed this ability in a phone. While Bitcoin is more popular, and Musk presumably prefers the existing Dogecoin, the rumor is Tesla’s phone would mine a new coin called MarsCoin (a nameMusk himself has tweeted about ). Some serious hardware would need to be implemented for this to work reliably.
Neuralink support : The idea of computers interfacing with the brain is still essentially science fiction, and Neuralink is one of the companies working on it. They say they’re “ designing the first neural implant that will let you control a computer or mobile device anywhere you go. “…with the activity of your brain, just by thinking about it. Could the first phone capable of such a feat be from Tesla? An early iteration could run on any phone with the Neuralink app, but it’d also make sense to see it here, considering Musk owns Neuralink.

Original rendering by Antonio DeRosa/ADR Studio.

It’s far more reasonable to see something tamer become available first—i.e., those first four or five features only, tied in with a Tesla-branded version of Android.

iPhone vs Android: Which One is Right For You?

If this phone is real, and Tesla holds out a release until implantable brain-machine interfaces are widely available, we’ll have to wait several more years.

The first human received a Neuralink implant in early 2024 , but the tech is still in its very early days. Plus, it won’t be available to everyone right away because the first goal of the company is to help people with paralysis.

Tesla Pi 5G Specs and Hardware

Assumptions are all anyone can run on with this phone, and with_zero_ reliable sources to use, it’s unclear what this phone could look like on the inside. It’d probably have all the standard components, like 512 GB to 1–2 TB of storage, 8–16 GB or RAM, and a screen around 6.5 inches.

As for the outside, check outADR Studio’s Tesla Model P concept designs , the source of most of these rumors. There are high-quality renderings you can look through beyond the ones we have used in this article.

Google could be working on a Pixel phone that rolls up

The Latest News About the Tesla Phone

News is slow with this device because, well, there really isn’t anything to report beyond the rumors. You can get more smartphone news from Lifewire , but below are some stories related to Tesla and this phone specifically.

Brain-Computer Interfaces Could Put Your Thoughts at Risk

How Neurochips Could Link Your Brain to a Computer

How Starlink Could Get Rural Families Online

Techtrends