Will Tesla Smartphone be a game changer?

Elon Musk is a mix of brilliant and crazy which makes him an interesting person to watch even if you’re not an investor. Musk makes cryptocurrencies and related securities far more volatile than they would otherwise be, so investors may have regrets at times.

Musk recently emphasized the creation of a Tesla smartphone with a unique feature-set.

This phone is a great idea considering where Tesla is heading, especially as a hedge against Apple’s rumored electric vehicle.

Let’s look at the possibilities for a Tesla phone in this week’s article. Next, we’ll wrap up with my product-of-the week, which is a pair of earbuds I found to be the most comfortable.

Tesla’s Apple Problem

Both Apple and Tesla have similar approaches to their respective markets and enjoy the same advantages.

Apple was founded by charismatic leader Steve Jobs. Elon Musk has done an even better job replicating Jobs’ unique approach to product management and creation than Tim Cook.

Both companies are known for their brand loyalty and market valuations. There are also many large companies that want to acquire them.

Tesla is not known for its marketing efforts and has a poor record of quality control. Although Apple has significantly reduced its marketing, it is still the market leader in this area. Apple also tends to be the benchmark for product quality.

The correlation between iPhone buyers and Tesla customers is very strong. If Apple releases a car that is fully integrated into the Apple ecosystem it can claim a significant share of Tesla’s market share.

Apple is the most dangerous competitor to Tesla due to its customer loyalty, visibility and large marketing budget. Apple’s reserves make them a formidable competitor to Tesla.

Smartphones are now keystones for the Tesla Model S, and are already somewhat integrated with Tesla’s in car audiovisual technology. Apple could have an advantage with this integration, and could disrupt the interoperability between Tesla cars while driving Apple users from Telsa vehicles. This is what Musk might be thinking about doing for his phone.

The Tesla Phone

It is rumored that the phone will feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Series solution. The phone will be available in colors that match Tesla cars, work better as a Tesla car key than any other phone and connect to Starlink.

This is difficult because a large antenna and powerful radio are required to get a smartphone to connect with a satellite. If they were able to get it working, however, Tesla users would have a huge advantage as they could access high-bandwidth connections for years before 5G.

To avoid data caps, I believe it would be better to install the satellite connectivity in the car. This will conceal the antenna and allow the phone to connect to the car when 5G is unavailable. This allows the car to have an uninterrupted satellite connection that can be used for remote operation, as well as reporting on parking lot damage or attempted thefts more reliably.

Last, but not least: With smartphones becoming key to cars, a Tesla smartphone could be integrated with your Tesla vehicle.

It could be programmed with buttons that lock, unlock, locate and scream for assistance using the car’s external speakers. If you have the autonomous feature, the phone could help locate you and pick you up. This would be especially useful for those who park in a strange place.

Elon Musk may be more visionary than Tim Cook with the Apple Watch. He’ll make these features compatible with other cars and the phone could help those people buy Tesla automobiles.

A Tesla smartwatch that works with the car may be even more intriguing. However, I haven’t heard of it yet. There is also a Tesla watch. It’s not a smartwatch, and it’s not from Tesla. It is a smartwatch, which I own and it is quite cool.

Qualcomm was able to help Apple create the first iPhone. They have improved their capabilities since then. Tesla begins with Qualcomm’s market-leading technology. They would then need to add car features.

Wrapping up
Tesla may be more successful than Apple in integrating the phone and car. Although neither Apple nor Tesla have been great partners, Qualcomm is able to partner well with any person and was able to help Apple get started when it was much less than it now is.

Tesla could be able to close the gap between Apple and Qualcomm in smartphone technology with Qualcomm’s assistance. Qualcomm has more experience with cars than Apple thanks to their work in car AV/autonomous driving.

Qualcomm will close the gap even though Tesla is still light on the smartphone side. Tesla is far ahead of Apple on the car front. Tesla should be able to deliver a better experience for drivers if it can improve its quality — which is a huge if considering its history.

Additionally, building a car is more difficult than building a phone. Therefore, Tesla has a much faster time on the market with Qualcomm than Apple with its new car.

Ironically, Steve Jobs was more interested in cars than Tim Cook. This suggests that the first Apple car will be Apple’s Zune. If the Apple car was a disaster, it would make Elon Musk’s day, but also Steve Ballmer’s, since he is the father of Zune, and Apple would be grateful for a similar experience.