Office Hours: The Tesla Phone, Apple’s Enterprise Play, and Degrees vs. Bootcamps

Concept Speculation

Scott Galloway explores the intriguing concept of a Tesla phone, speculating on its potential features and market impact. He notes that the proposed Model PI could serve as a car key, communication device, and even mine cryptocurrency, all while charging via solar power 1. Scott draws parallels between Tesla and Apple, highlighting their shared brand power and innovation ethos. He suggests that Elon Musk's ventures, like SpaceX's satellite network, could provide the infrastructure needed for a Tesla phone 1.

The concept is not out of the realm of possibility, as Musk's other projects could lend themselves to a phone, specifically high speed satellite, Internet capabilities and infrastructure for a phone.

--- Scott Galloway

Despite the excitement, Scott remains skeptical about Tesla's ability to compete with established smartphone giants like Apple 2.

   

Market Challenges

Scott delves into the formidable market challenges Tesla would face if it entered the smartphone industry. He points out that Apple and Android manufacturers dominate the market, with Apple's iPhone being the most profitable product in history 3. The smartphone industry is saturated with innovation, IP, and patents, making it a daunting arena for any new entrant. Scott argues that while Tesla's brand could attract initial interest, the complexity of developing a competitive handset is vastly greater than Tesla's previous ventures like flamethrowers or tequila 3.

Anything that has a Tesla logo on it gets a decent amount of adoption. But I would argue there's probably other places they want to go first before they go into what is the most competitive ip robust product and history, maybe. And that is our handsets.

--- Scott Galloway

Ultimately, he suggests that Tesla might prioritize other ventures before tackling the smartphone market 3.