Elon Musk hints at Starlink-powered smartphone

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, is hinting at a new and unconventional smartphone idea that could change how people think about mobile devices. Taking to X, Musk said a Starlink-branded phone is “not out of the question”, signalling that the concept is under consideration, though no formal plans have been announced.

The statements came after a user complimented the concept of a Starlink smartphone. Musk’s quick response to the compliment led to an online discussion about what a Starlink smartphone could be like. Starlink, which is run by SpaceX, already offers satellite internet services to millions of people worldwide, especially in areas where connectivity is limited.

According to Musk, the Starlink smartphones would be different from other iPhones and Android smartphones.

He said the device would be optimised purely for running max performance per watt neural nets, pointing to a strong focus on artificial intelligence and energy efficiency rather than cameras, social media apps, or entertainment features.

This would likely be developed around the Neural Processing Unit (NPU), which is supposed to handle AI-related tasks on the device itself. This would mean that the phone would be able to offer a faster AI assistant, improved automation, and improved processing power while consuming less power.

The Starlink phone would also be able to reduce the need for the traditional mobile network, as it would be able to connect to the satellites directly. This would mean that it would be able to provide better connectivity in areas where the telecom infrastructure is not well developed.