SpaceX showed a prototype handheld artificial-intelligence device to a select group of shareholders and investors shortly before its record-breaking initial public offering, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed sources. Elon Musk responded on his social media platform X with a two-word denial: “Utterly false.” The conflicting accounts have drawn attention to the aerospace company’s deepening ties to AI and the possibility of a hardware venture that would bypass the dominant mobile operating systems.

The device, described as slimmer than an iPhone and running a proprietary operating system, would integrate xAI’s Grok chatbot and use a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, according to the report. Russian business outlets, citing the WSJ, noted that the concept draws on the “super-app” philosophy of China’s WeChat, aiming to offer an all-in-one platform with direct access to Starlink satellite internet. Indian and Arabic-language media highlighted the potential for a device that could operate entirely outside the Apple and Google ecosystems, freeing SpaceX from app-store fees and content restrictions.

The disclosure comes as SpaceX positions itself as an artificial-intelligence company following its IPO, which French financial circles described as one of the most anticipated market debuts. Musk has previously stated that building a smartphone is not a goal—“the idea makes me want to die”—but has left open the possibility if Apple or Google impose severe censorship. The competitive landscape is shifting: OpenAI is developing AI-centric hardware with former Apple designer Jony Ive, while earlier standalone AI gadgets such as Humane’s AI Pin and the Rabbit R1 failed to gain traction, a point underscored by Spanish-language and Persian reports.

SpaceX has cautioned investors that the project is at a very early stage, the design may change, and no decision on commercial production has been made. The company has not issued a formal statement beyond Musk’s social-media post. The next factual milestone will be any official confirmation of the project’s existence or a regulatory filing that sheds light on SpaceX’s hardware ambitions.