The tech world is buzzing with the latest leaks about the Tesla Pi Phone, and it’s already shaking up expectations for the smartphone market. Slated to arrive next March, the Pi Phone promises to combine cutting-edge technology with an unprecedented price point: $789 — far below what many would expect for a device of its caliber.
The Powerhouse X23 Chip
At the heart of the Pi Phone is Tesla’s X23 chip, which Elon Musk has described as the “best AI inference chip in the world.” Analysts predict that it will outperform Apple’s A19 Pro chip found in the iPhone 17 series, offering unmatched processing speed, graphics performance, and on-device AI capabilities. The X23 is designed to handle demanding applications, AI-driven tasks, and image processing without relying on the cloud, making it a serious contender in mobile innovation.
Premium Design and Connectivity
Tesla isn’t skimping on materials. The Pi Phone will reportedly be the world’s first smartphone made from Grade 6 titanium, combining durability with sleek design. Even more impressively, it will support fully independent Starlink connectivity, allowing users to stay online even in areas with poor cellular coverage — a feature that could redefine global connectivity for mobile devices.
Competitive Pricing
Despite its high-end features, the Pi Phone’s starting price is $789, a fraction of the $2000–$3000 many would expect for a phone of this specification. This aggressive pricing is being interpreted as Elon Musk’s direct challenge to Apple, particularly amid rising criticism of the iPhone 17 series for its durability issues and controversial material changes.
Is the Tesla Pi Phone an iPhone Killer?
Industry insiders are divided. While the iPhone 17 Pro lineup faces complaints over performance and material quality, the Pi Phone appears to tick nearly every box: speed, AI functionality, premium build, and global connectivity. If the leaks are accurate, Tesla could enter the smartphone market with a device that outclasses Apple in both technology and price.
As anticipation builds, tech enthusiasts are debating whether the Pi Phone will truly redefine the smartphone industry — and whether Apple can respond effectively to this bold new competitor.
One thing is clear: the Tesla Pi Phone has already set the stage for one of the most exciting tech rivalries of the decade.
Elon Musk ‘Jokingly’ Called Apple The ‘Tesla Graveyard’ — Then Tried Selling Tesla To Apple During Its ‘Darkest Days’ For 10% Of Its Worth
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Jeannine Mancini
December 17, 2025 4 min read
Elon Musk had jokes when Apple started hiring his former engineers—until he needed Apple to buy his company.
It was classic Musk: flippant, cutting, and aimed directly at one of the most powerful companies on Earth. Apple, he said, was where you ended up when you washed out at Tesla. But not long after that punchline, Musk found himself in the middle of a financial meltdown so severe, he quietly reached out to Apple’s CEO with a shocking offer: take Tesla off his hands. For cheap.
In a December 2020 post on X, Musk revealed that during the “darkest days of the Model 3 program,” he had approached Tim Cook to discuss a full acquisition—at just 10% of Tesla’s then-current value. “He refused to take the meeting,” Musk wrote. No sale. No bailout. Just a hard pass.
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The Tesla–Apple drama had been brewing for years. Back in 2015, while Apple was rumored to be building an electric car under its secretive Project Titan initiative, Musk sat down with German financial paper Handelsblatt. That interview, later cited in a GQ profile, is where he dropped the now-famous line: “We always jokingly call Apple the ‘Tesla Graveyard.’ If you don’t make it at Tesla, you go work at Apple. I’m not kidding.”
He wasn’t finished. Musk scoffed at Apple’s ability to make cars, comparing its hardware chops to wristwear. “Did you ever take a look at the Apple Watch?” he said. “Cars are very complex compared to phones or smartwatches. You can’t just go to a supplier like Foxconn and say: Build me a car.”
But while Musk mocked Apple’s EV plans publicly, behind the scenes, Tesla was unraveling. The Model 3 rollout in 2017 and 2018 was so chaotic that Musk later admitted the company was “single-digit weeks” from bankruptcy. He told Axios in 2018 that production delays and cash burn nearly wiped Tesla out. That’s when he tried to pitch the company to Apple—at a fraction of its future worth.
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Cook, according to his own statement to The New York Times in 2021, denied ever speaking to Musk. “I’ve never spoken to Elon,” he said, though he expressed admiration for what Tesla had built.
Apple, for its part, never delivered a car. Project Titan, after over $10 billion in investment and years of internal turmoil, was shut down in early 2024, according to Bloomberg. Many of the engineers were shifted to Apple’s AI division.Story Continues
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Elon Musk ‘Jokingly’ Called Apple The ‘Tesla Graveyard’ — Then Tried Selling Tesla To Apple During Its ‘Darkest Days’ For 10% Of Its Worth
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Jeannine ManciniNovember 27, 2025 3 min readIn this article:Elon Musk just sent a reminder to Bill Gates—and it wasn’t a friendly one.After Microsoft co-founder Gates offloaded billions in stock, Tesla CEO Musk jumped into the conversation with the subtlety of a steel-toed boot. The short? Still an issue. The feud? Very much alive.On Nov. 15, the stock tracking account Barchart posted on X: “Bill Gates Foundation dumped 65% of its Microsoft $MSFT position for a total of $8.8 Billion Wut?”Don’t Miss:
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Badar ShaikhMon, December 22, 2025 at 2:01 AM GMT+7 3 min readIn this article:Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has called his exit from PayPal Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:PYPL) a “palace coup” against the billionaire.Peter Thiel Reported To Me, Says Elon MuskResponding to a post on the social media platform X on Friday by user @jasonlk, which had a video claiming that Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) co-founder Peter Thiel fired Musk, also sharing that when SpaceX was going to shut its doors, Musk went to the PayPal founder’s fund and was given his share by Thiel “in an hour.””Peter Thiel fired Elon Musk. Be — he was kind about it. And he left Elon with all his economics (12% of PayPal).
Be kind. He did what he had to do, but he was kind.
And then Elon went back to Peter, and Founders Fund got to invest $20m to buy 10% of SpaceX.
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I was the largest shareholder in the company. There was nothing anyone could have done to…Tesla’s 1.5 Trillion-Dollar Valuation, Falling SalesThe news comes as Tesla recently cemented its position as the most valuable automaker on the planet, with its market capitalization surpassing the $1.58 trillion mark, which eclipses the combined market capitalization of automakers like Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE:TM), BYD Co. Ltd. (OTC:BYDDY) (OTC:BYDDF), Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F), General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM) and others.See Also: Deloitte’s #1 Fastest-Growing Software Company Lets Users Earn Money Just by Scrolling — Accredited Investors Can Still Get In at $0.50/Share.However, the surge in valuation hasn’t translated into improved sales for the automaker, with Tesla sales down 23% in the U.S. during November amid a wider pullback in EV demand. Despite this, the company’s market share stood at 56% in the U.S. EV sector.SpaceX IPO, Trump’s Moon And Mars PushElsewhere, SpaceX is also eyeing a public listing next year as the commercial space flight giant’s IPO, targeting a $1.5 trillion valuation.The news comes as Musk had earlier hinted at a potential IPO for SpaceX during Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting in November. Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives predicted that the “time is right” for the potential SpaceX IPO.Elsewhere, President Donald Trump unveiled the White House’s plans for the future of space exploration in a new Executive Order, which will push for humans to return to the lunar surface by the year 2028, among other decisions.Read Next:- Missed Tesla? EnergyX Is Tackling the Next $200 Billion Opportunity — Lithium
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