by Kim Eunha
Published 10 Feb.2024 09:17(KST)
Updated 10 Feb.2024 10:11(KST)
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, announced that he will soon eliminate his phone number and use only his social networking service X (formerly Twitter) for calls.
On the 9th (local time), Musk stated on X, "I will discontinue my phone number within a few months," adding, "I will only use X for text, video, and audio calls." This announcement came just two weeks after X launched its 'video and voice call service.' However, Musk did not specify exactly when he would stop using his phone number, only saying "in a few months."
At the end of last month, X began offering voice and video call services to Android users. To make calls, users must subscribe to the paid service 'X Premium,' but receiving calls is possible even for non-paying members. X users can disable the call function, restrict calls to certain followers, or limit calls to contacts saved on their phone.
Musk is making various attempts to turn X into a super app. The video and voice call service is one of the efforts to make X a comprehensive platform. Last year, subscription services were introduced on X, and this year, X plans to launch its payment system. The goal is to integrate all services?from calls to delivery, shopping, and online payments?into X, not just a simple social network.
Despite Musk's ambitions, X's profitability is deteriorating. According to mutual fund Fidelity, as of the end of November last year, X's corporate value had plummeted by 71.5% compared to about a year ago when Musk acquired it.
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