OpenAI’s acquisition of Jony Ive’s design firm earlier this year sparked speculation that the company was preparing to move beyond software and into dedicated AI devices. Now, reports suggest those plans are taking shape, with multiple pieces of hardware potentially in development.
According to The Information, OpenAI has been hiring hardware veterans from Apple and speaking with supply chain partners about producing several AI-driven products. Among the concepts under consideration are a display-free smart speaker, AI-powered glasses, a digital voice recorder, and a wearable pin. The company is reportedly targeting late 2026 or early 2027 for the debut of its first consumer device.
This timeline aligns with earlier reporting from The Wall Street Journal, which noted that OpenAI and Ive’s team had been quietly exploring hardware ideas even before the acquisition, including prototypes for headphones and camera-equipped devices. One description from that report suggested a product designed to be ever-present but unobtrusive, capable of sitting on a desk alongside a laptop and smartphone while maintaining awareness of the user’s surroundings.
If true, this would place OpenAI in a hardware field that has seen more misfires than successes. Humane’s AI Pin struggled to find relevance and the Rabbit R1 failed to sustain momentum beyond its launch. A few exceptions exist, like the Plaud Note, a voice recording device that has found a steady niche. The challenge for OpenAI will be to avoid the pitfalls of novelty-driven AI gadgets and instead create something with daily utility.
What sets OpenAI apart is its position as the company behind ChatGPT, a product already deeply integrated into productivity workflows, search, and creative tasks. If the hardware can serve as a natural extension of those capabilities—always-on assistance without requiring a screen—it may find more traction than earlier attempts. Still, the company faces the same hurdles as others: balancing privacy, battery life, connectivity, and how much users actually want an AI device occupying constant physical space in their lives.
The next two years will determine whether OpenAI can turn its AI ecosystem into tangible consumer hardware or whether this will be another cycle of experimental products that fade after launch. With Jony Ive’s design sensibilities and Apple-trained engineers in the mix, expectations will be high, but history shows that breaking into hardware is rarely straightforward—even for companies with dominant software platforms.
