TL;DRWSJ reports SpaceX showed investors a slim AI device prototype using xAI tech and Qualcomm chips. Musk denies it, calling the report false.
SpaceX showed investors a prototype of a handset-like AI device before its record IPO, according to The Wall Street Journal. The prototype is reportedly slimmer than an iPhone, runs on a proprietary operating system, integrates technology from xAI, and uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset. Elon Musk has denied the report, calling it “utterly false” on X.
The WSJ says SpaceX told investors the project is early enough that the design could still change, and there is no guarantee the device will ever reach production. Qualcomm shares rose about three percent on the news regardless. SpaceX has not made any public announcement about the project.
SpaceX absorbed xAI in February in a merger valued at roughly one and a quarter trillion dollars, giving the rocket company direct access to the AI models and infrastructure Musk’s AI lab had built. A proprietary device running xAI’s technology would keep SpaceX outside the Android and iOS ecosystems entirely, avoiding the platform fees and restrictions that come with building on someone else’s software.
The device would also fit into SpaceX’s broader wireless ambitions. The company recently told investors it plans to sell Starlink phone service directly to US consumers, setting up a potential challenge to Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. SpaceX acquired wireless spectrum from EchoStar for 17 billion dollars and has the satellite constellation to back a standalone network, so an AI device designed for that infrastructure would give SpaceX hardware, software, and connectivity under one roof.
