Rumors about a new phone from Tesla have been circulating on the web for some time, but last weekend, Elon Musk admitted for the first time, black on Twitter, that he would consider creating a device to compete with Apple and Android if they took action against his new acquisition, aka Twitter.
This statement joins a series of controversial tweets that Musk has published recently, since the company passed into his hands, which have led many advertisers to see Twitter as a high-risk advertising platform.
Among other things, the richest man in the world recently conducted a survey that led to the return of former US President Donald Trump to Twitter. Later, Musk conducted another survey in which he proposed a mass amnesty for accounts suspended from the platform. The public of followers had their say and Musk announced that the amnesty would begin this week. In doing so, Musk declared Twitter a platform with absolute freedom of expression, which could lead Twitter to violate the respective app market guidelines.
How does all this relate to Tesla's new phone?
This chaotic strategy by Musk has led many to wonder if Apple and Google will remove Twitter from their app market.
After all, absolute freedom of expression means violating many of the guidelines that app markets adhere to, such as avoiding racist or sexist statements, expressions of violence and incitement, etc.
So far, there's been no sign that the mobile giants have actually considered making this move, but that hasn't stopped Musk from responding to the speculation and stating that if there's no other choice, he'll start working on a new phone from Tesla.
Even if Apple and Google simultaneously take decisive action against Twitter as a platform, the social media giant will still be able to release an APK file that can be downloaded for Android outside of the Google Play Store.
In the case of Apple devices, it will be a bit more complicated, but still possible, as installing a custom profile is a much lower barrier to entry than switching phones.
Additionally, users will still be able to access Twitter through the phone's browser, without the need for the native app.
So why are we still talking about a Tesla phone?
Most of the rumors about the Tesla phone came from the following video, which was uploaded to YouTube in early 2021 by a user named adrstudiodesign, in which it is clearly stated that these are ideas of the designer and not an official statement from Tesla.
It seems that Musk's acquisition of Twitter and his desire to turn it into a platform of free speech may be what will eventually push the founder to create the same device from the mouth, which is not so far-fetched.
Tesla has its own chip technology, a stack of software with games and apps and over a million customers running the Linux operating system on a tablet with a very modern user interface.
What can you expect from the Tesla phone?
If Tesla does decide to launch the phone, it is expected to contain some very interesting features that have not been seen in any other device to date:
Satellite Internet
: All new phones today come with 5G technology, but Tesla's phone is also expected to include space-based Internet service from SpaceX and Starlink, both of which are owned by Musk.
This phone even has the potential to help advance the colonization of Mars, a goal of the company since its inception, but they will have to find a way to not only hide the cumbersome antenna that satellite phones have, but ensure good service from such a small device.
One of the theories surrounding this issue is that it will only work in places where there is already a Starlink base, or in Tesla cars that will be equipped with a suitable antenna.
Solar charging
: Tesla makes solar panels and cars, so it's not a far-fetched idea.
It is unlikely that the phone will rely only on sunlight, but it is certainly possible that Tesla's branded cover will allow solar charging in situations where connecting to electricity is not possible.
Car Control
: A mobile phone app is already available to Tesla drivers to perform basic functions such as locking or unlocking the car, controlling media playback and summoning driverless vehicles.
This application, which will be pre-installed on the phone, if not built into the operating system, will allow easy access to the car directly from the lock screen or using the phone's external buttons.
Astrophotography
: Mobile phones today already use artificial intelligence and powerful cameras to help photograph the night sky, but add to that the extraterrestrial focus of SpaceX, and you've got a device that is capable of taking pictures of astronomical objects even from a distance of thousands of light years.
Crypto Mining
: Another rumor is that the Tesla phone could be used to mine cryptocurrencies.
Musk has already spoken out on this topic in the past, so it's not unreasonable to assume that he would like to implement this capability in the phone.
Tesla's phone is rumored to mine a new currency called MarsCoin, a name Musk himself tweeted about, but Tesla will have to do a lot of development work before it can release the hardware to reliably do so.
Neuralink support
: The idea of computers that interface with the brain is still science fiction, but Neuralink, another company owned by Musk, is already working on the first neural implant that will allow you to control your computer or mobile device from anywhere using your mind.
The early iteration will likely work on any phone with the Neuralink app, but if Tesla does launch its own phone, it makes sense that this feature would become built-in.
At the same time, it should be remembered that the initial goal of this technology is to help people with cerebral palsy, so the road from there to Tesla's phones is quite long.
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