Tesla smartwatch: Elon Musk debunks rumour, calls tech outdated and Neuralink future

Earlier this week Tesla found itself in the headlines after reports hinted that it has partnered with Huami to create a bespoke Smartwatch for those who own marque's vehicles. The Chinese brand in question is actually a subsidiary of Xiaomi which manufactures wearables under the Amazfit label and other fitness-related products. However, all-electric carmaker's CEO Elon Musk finally spoke out on social media and shut down rumours about it. According to his comment, company resources are focused on something more groundbreaking instead.

Speculation surrounding the alleged development of a Tesla-branded smart device began after Huami Technology CEO Huang Wang posted a message on his Weibo account. Moreover, it was likewise revealed that the official announcement would be on Sept. 15. Elon Musk finally responded on Twitter to a post from @cleantechnica which read "Tesla Developing Smartwatch with Partners, News Outlets Report.

He wrote: Definitely not. Smartwatches & phones are yesterday's technology, Neuralinks are the future." For those who are unaware, Neuralink is a startup founded in 2016 that hopes to eventually revolutionise interactions between humans and computers. After years without any update, The Tesla co-founder finally presented a working demonstration in August that involved three pigs which have been given the brain implants. Since it is still in the early concept stages, regulators have not yet approved its use on human subjects.

Meanwhile, what probably led to talks about a possible collaboration between Huami and Tesla was a recent update that rolled out for two of the former's wearables. The latest firmware patch for the Amazfit GTR and Amazfit GTS smartwatches enabled both to be used as car keys for the Xpeng P7. The latter is a mid-size emission-free sedan, which is exclusively sold in China. It is purportedly the Chinese counterpart of the Model 3

It seems that this could be just a rumour after all now that Musk debunked any notion of a Tesla-branded smartwatch. On the other hand, if the technology behind Neuralink does eventually become mainstream, the benefits it promises to deliver might give those who suffer from mental illnesses a chance at a normal life. It's too early to tell for now, but Huami Technology might have something up their sleeve which will be announced soon.