- Elon Musk has denied a report that SpaceX is building a phone
- However, Musk outlined his ideas for what a Starlink device could look like.
- He added that the phones of the future will be the first devices with artificial intelligence.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket company already has a fleet of Starlink satellites in orbit providing internet connectivity around the world. Could the next logical step be for the company to sell a satellite phone? Musk has now denied new rumors from PakGazette sources claiming this is the case, but there are signs that SpaceX could still be considering a satellite-connected AI device.
Citing “sources familiar with the matter,” PakGazette reports that SpaceX has plans for “a Starlink phone, direct-to-device Internet and a space tracking service.” The phone could help SpaceX “expand its reach to new markets” and be part of the company’s plans to “build data centers that orbit the Earth,” PakGazette says.
PakGazette noted that Starlink has been working with T-Mobile to deliver mobile signals between satellites and user devices. The outlet also noted that SpaceX has filed to trademark the name “Starlink Mobile” and that Musk himself has said that one of the goals of SpaceX’s satellite-to-mobile service is to “offer complete cellular coverage anywhere on Earth.” All of these factors seem to indicate SpaceX’s interest in mobile technology.
However, after being shared the PakGazette report on X, Musk replied that “we are not developing a phone.” Reading between the lines, Musk’s initial post could simply describe the type of device he would like to develop in the future, and his second post clarifies that his companies are not actively developing such a product at this time.
The phone of the future
Previously, Musk has been a bit more nuanced in his denials about a Starlink phone. In a post on The SpaceX boss said it would be “exclusively optimized to run maximum performance/watt neural networks,” referring to potential artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.
Speaking on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast in October 2025, Musk also clarified his thoughts on mobile technology, stating that he believed “we’re not going to have a phone in the traditional sense. What we’re going to call a phone is really going to be an edge node for AI inference with some radios to plug into.” In other words, phones won’t exist in the traditional sense (with operating systems and apps), but will essentially be vehicles for AI to create whatever you want to see or do, Musk argued.
PakGazette maintains that SpaceX “has had mobile phone plans for years,” but it is still unknown what form those plans will take. Musk is evidently interested in the idea, but sees a very different path compared to the device you could have in your pocket today.
Whatever SpaceX decides to do, the company has an active interest in providing satellite services to mobile users. Whether that will be the maximum extent of his mobile interests remains to be seen.
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