Tesla Model Pi Smartphone: Is the Device Real or Just a Hoax?

Tesla's theorized smartphone device, potentially coined the Model Pi, has many tech enthusiasts in a rut. There is little information about the product online, and all but speculation proves it's a mere unicorn in the making. But Tesla is known for its flashy, inventive, and otherwise loud technological concepts. To that end, what would this supposed Tesla Model Pi look and feel like in the context of conventional smartphones?

Tesla has long been situated at the forefront of technological innovation, and it should come as no surprise then that its suite of integral tech concepts would be readily available as feature sets on the Model Pi. These features include solar charging, Neuralink support, crypto mining, astrophotography, satellite internet, and vehicle control, to name only a few.

The aforementioned vehicle control would thereby showcase the Tesla phone as a key of sorts, giving it various functionality through a Tesla mobile application. A similar concept was unveiled via Ford's FordPass, an ingenious tool that could allow users simplistic vehicle maneuverability through an app, including something as complex as assisted driverless parking. Something akin to the FordPass for Tesla drivers would allow a host of updated options for consumers already well-situated within the Tesla ecosystem.

SpaceX and Starlink both vie to reinvigorate the way we look up at the stars, as well as how we interact digitally here on earth. Starlink itself boasts well over 1,700 satellites in low earth orbit, allowing for unlimited potential in high-speed internet capabilities. Elon Musk, CEO of both Tesla and SpaceX, gives way to the idea that the Model Pi could have incredible built-in satellite internet capabilities. The device itself will aid in the funding of more space-bound explorations, specifically the Mars colonization.

Musk himself has been outwardly positive when it comes to cryptocurrencies, despite their seeming downward trend of late. Given the CEO's loud adoration for the digital currency, sided with similar rumors pointing to the very potentiality for the device, Tesla's Model Pi could well serve as a crypto mining handheld phone. The concept could see the Tesla phone mining what's called MarsCoin, a tokenized asset that Musk has relayed hype for in the past.

Among the many various concepts Musk has positioned over the years, one of the most brazen is his Neuralink, which posits the potential for bridging the mind with tech. Neuralink is essentially a Black Mirror episode brought to life, and the actual technology underlying the company's mission is nearing reality. It only makes sense, then, that Neuralink's capabilities could be infused nicely within Tesla's phone concept, allowing a user, as the company itself explains on its site, "to control a computer or mobile device anywhere you go."

This idea, much like solar charging, hinges on the available technology and the safety inherent in the device. While Neuralink being an available feature for Tesla's Model Pi is farfetched at best, solar charging, on the other hand, is far more likely, given Tesla's long history in this realm. However, despite its know-how, a phone would still need considerably more power from an alternate source over simply being primarily solar charged. But the concept itself is highly likely.

Aside from all of the cool tech integrations the Model Pi can afford, its underlying specifications could see a standard AMOLED display of about 6.5 inches, in addition to around 16 GB of RAM, and potentially 1 TB of storage. As for actual design and general looks could bear similarities to an iPhone, only sporting a Tesla symbol on its rear.

Various renders made by ADR Studios showcase an iPhone look-alike with a sleek, all-screen touch front face and a back that holds a four-camera concept for the aforementioned astrophotography feature set. Tesla itself would most likely design its own operating system for the device or outsource the concept to another, more reliable software expert.

Now, then, what about the Tesla phone price, the question of the century, right up there next to its potential release date. Both are anyone's best guess. As of yet, most of the information is all speculative and hearsay, as no official word from Tesla proves anything is in motion, especially a surprise Tesla phone announcement.

At a glance, taking into consideration conventional smartphone prices, the Tesla Model Pi could see a price tag of around $800-$1,200 depending on specs and design choices. On the other hand, Tesla phone availability probably won't find sunlight until after 2022, if even anytime soon, for that matter. Given the myriad of speculation surrounding the Tesla phone currently, most estimates give way to a supposed 2030 release date - that is, if even the device is being developed.

Let's not forget, in reply to a CleanTechnica article on Twitter, Musk himself relayed the futility in designing both smartwatches and even phones. In his own words, he calls both tech forms "yesterday's technology." Still, that doesn't swipe the Tesla phone completely off the table. It merely showcases Musk's own ideologies surrounding technology.

As such, will we see said Model Pi? It's unclear. CleanTechnica's Johnna Crider writes in an article published only yesterday, Jan. 10th, that "If Tesla didn't announce it, then consider it a rumor." With that, the Tesla smartphone all but remains a myth. For now.