Elon Musk's Starlink mobile device may not be a phone: Here's what you must know

Since modern-day smartphones are said to have become mere slabs of glass and metal, Elon Musk seems to have taken an oath to change this notion with a new Starlink mobile device.

While it has been reported by reliable sources that SpaceX is developing a Starlink device that connects to the Starlink satellite internet constellation, one must keep in mind that it may not be a phone-like device, which might disappoint people who have a knack for smartphones.

Musk has also confirmed that his Starlink device will not be a smartphone. “We are not developing a phone,” he stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter), although he did not deny the existence of a device in development.

Although insights into the device are scarce, Musk previously hinted at the possibility of a Starlink phone. In response to a suggestion on X, he mentioned that this device would be very different from current smartphones, being “optimised purely for running max performance/watt neural nets.”

What is Elon Musk's Starlink-enabled device?

This means an emphasis on local AI capabilities, which aligns with SpaceX’s recent acquisition of Musk’s AI startup, xAI, known for the chatbot Grok. A device serving as an access point for both Starlink and Grok is likely.

This comes not as SpaceX’s first venture into mobile connectivity, as the company has formed partnerships with T-Mobile in the US to provide Starlink internet directly to phones on their network.

And the notable development is that Musk's SpaceX and xAI are not the only aspirants of AI-first devices, considering that OpenAI has also teamed up with Jony Ive on a mysterious gadget, and, similarly, Apple is also rumoured to be considering an AI pin.