OpenAI's "secret" new device is coming. Here's what we know so far
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OpenAI again confirmed at Davos this week that it's building a new AI device — while keeping most details under wraps.
Why it matters: AI hardware has repeatedly failed to break through, making OpenAI's partnership with former Apple design chief Jony Ive to build AI hardware one of the industry's most closely watched bets.
Driving the news: OpenAI's chief global affairs officer, Chris Lehane, said Monday at Axios House in Davos that the new device is scheduled to be released in the second half of 2026.
- However, he cautioned that was the "most likely" timeline.
Flashback: OpenAI said after acquiring Ive's company last May that the first products were set to be shown in 2026, too.
Here's what we know about OpenAI's gadget.
What we know about the OpenAI device design
Context: OpenAI has been coy about its future AI device, as CEO Sam Altman has not offered a firm timeline or description of what it will look like.
- However, he said the device would be more "peaceful" than a smartphone.
- Altman and Ive teased in November that any future OpenAI device or gadget would lean into simplicity with a little whimsy.
What they're saying: "I also love incredibly intelligent, sophisticated products that you want to touch — and you feel no intimidation, and you want to use almost carelessly, that you use them almost without thought, that they're just tools," Ive said, as Axios reported in November.
The intrigue: "There was an earlier prototype that we were quite excited about, but I did not have any feeling of: 'I want to pick up that thing and take a bite out of it,'" Altman said at the time.
Earbuds and pen rumors
Zoom in: Various reports have suggested OpenAI's device could be wearable. It's unclear whether it's a pin, earbuds, or something else entirely.
- Some publications and alleged leaks indicate that the device — with the codename "Sweetpea" — will be an earbud device. It would rely on cloud-based AI processing and, per other reports, would be worn behind the ear.
- Another rumor posits an OpenAI device — reportedly named "Gumdrop" — would be an iPod shuffle-sized pen without a screen.
The bottom line: After years of unpopular AI gadgets, OpenAI's device may soon test whether hardware can finally break through to consumers.
Rise of AI devices and hardware
Major AI players are testing different paths to consumer hardware.
- Meta has leaned fully into its Ray-Ban glasses tech, which comes with a built-in AI assistant.
- Apple is reportedly revamping Siri to become a chatbot for its hardware devices, like the iPhones and Mac devices.
- Samsung has also teased adding more AI capabilities to its smartphones.
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