Elon Musk said Friday he’d create an “alternative” smartphone if Apple and Google remove Twitter, which he bought for $44 billion last month, from its app stores.
“I certainly hope it does not come to that, but, yes, if there is no other choice, I will make an alternative phone,” the billionaire tweeted in response to a question from right-wing personality Liz Wheeler.
Wheeler asked if people would “switch to a tELONphone” and asked for name ideas. With almost 89,000 votes cast by early Saturday, some 53 percent of respondents said they would buy a Musk-created phone. Suggested names included the “ePhone,” the “Trolophone” and “SpacePhone.”
Whether Musk actually follows through on his promise depends on how Twitter’s relationship with Apple and Google develops in the coming weeks and months.
Musk has complained about the fees charged by the tech giants.
On the flip side, his staunch commitment to “free speech” on the platform (such as the reinstatement of controversial accounts such as that of former President Donald Trump) in a bid to boost revenue has sparked speculation the app could be pulled from the Android and Apple stores.
