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| - AAP FACTCHECK – Social media is being flooded with hundreds of posts falsely claiming Elon Musk has announced the launch of Tesla-branded smartphones.
This is false. Rumours about Tesla entering the mobile phone market have been around for several years, but no such announcement has been made.
Mr Musk said in November 2024 that the rumours were untrue and he had no plans to enter the mobile phone market.
Dozens of Facebook posts make the claim, including in Papua New Guinea and other Pacific islands.
“Elon Musk: “The $299 Tesla Phone Will Be The End Of IPhones and Samsung,” one caption reads.
“Think of a phone that costs just $299 but offers global internet connectivity through satellites, charges itself with sunlight, and seamlessly controls your car, home, and more…
“Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, leave it to Elon and Tesla to make it a reality with the Tesla Pl Phone.”
Another Facebook post is captioned: “Recently, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the release of the Tesla Pi Phone, a revolutionary device that promises to change the smartphone industry forever. The announcement caused a frenzy on the internet, with many tech enthusiasts already declaring it as the end of Apple’s dominance in the market.”
Many false posts about the purported new product include AI-generated images of Mr Musk or fabricated quotes falsely attributed to the tech billionaire.
Some posts claim the purported phone will cost only $100, while others say it will be $299.
Some posts link to scam websites encouraging users to download suspicious software or hand over personal information.
However, Mr Musk debunked the rumours on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast on November 5, 2024.
Asked by host Joe Rogan if he planned to manufacture mobile phones, Mr Musk said: “No, we’re not doing a phone” (one hour 33 minutes 22 seconds).
When asked by Mr Rogan if he had “ever thought about it”, Mr Musk said he would only consider it if Apple and Google “started doing really bad things like, I don’t know, like censorship of apps or … treating people … in a really bad way” (1:33.53).
AAP FactCheck can find no credible evidence Mr Musk has announced Tesla-branded phones or that any such product is imminent.
A search of Mr Musk’s historical tweets finds one post from November 2022 responding to the suggestion that he should make a smartphone if Apple and Google remove Twitter from their app stores.
Mr Musk says: “I certainly hope it does not come to that, but, yes, if there is no other choice, I will make an alternative phone.”
However, he does not specify this would be a Tesla phone, and these comments were made two years prior to his comments on the Joe Rogan experience.
The search returns no results about Tesla-branded smartphones.
Tesla’s X channel similarly returns no relevant statements about mobile phones, and there’s no mention of a product on the Tesla website.
No credible news outlet has reported Mr Musk’s supposed smartphone announcement, though several journalists have reported on the fake rumours.
Tesla Australia did not respond to an AAP FactCheck inquiry asking for a comment on the claims.
To confuse the matter slightly, another company called Tesla – part of the Comtrade group, based in Belgrade, Serbia – does sell mobile phones.
However, that company is not associated with Mr Musk’s business.
In the FAQ section of its website, in answer to the question “Do you make cars?”, Tesla says: “Nope. That is Tesla Inc., which provides solar, energy storage, charging, and vehicles… We make and distribute consumer electronics products and household appliances inspired by Nikola Tesla’s idea to provide technology for all.”
False claims about the announcement of a Tesla smartphone have previously been debunked by fact-check organisations such as PolitiFact and Lead Stories.
The Verdict
False – The claim is inaccurate.
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