There are various rumors circulating about OpenAI’s hardware plans, including the launch of earphones. A new note from industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that the AI company may be working with MediaTek, Qualcomm, and Luxshare to develop a mobile phone.
Kuo, who has reported on several Apple hardware plans in the past, said OpenAI will develop smartphone chips with MediaTek and Qualcomm, with Luxshare serving as a co-design and manufacturing partner.
The analyst note also suggests that smartphones may rely on AI agents instead of apps to complete various tasks. Currently, Apple and Google control the type of app pipeline and system access, and limit some functionality. Kuo suggests that by creating its own smartphone and hardware stack, OpenAI will be able to use AI in all kinds of functions without restrictions. With ChatGPT approaching 1 billion weekly users, a hardware product for everyday use could also bode well for OpenAI’s ambitions to reach more consumers.
This idea is not limited to OpenAI. The makers of the Vibe coding app are predicting a future where apps aren’t involved. CEO Carl Pei said nothing at SXSW that said the app would eventually go away.
Kuo believes that OpenAI’s smartphones will be designed to continuously understand the user’s context. By offering the phone itself, the company will have access to more data about your habits than the apps on the phone. He also said the company will work on a combination of small-scale on-device and cloud models to handle different types of requests and tasks.
The analyst said the smartphone’s specifications and its component suppliers are expected to be finalized by the end of the year or the first quarter of 2027, with mass production of the device expected to begin in 2028.
Earlier this year, OpenAI’s chief global affairs officer, Chris Lehane, said the company plans to introduce its first hardware products in late 2026. Some reports at the time indicated that the device could be a uniquely designed earphone.
OpenAI had not commented on this story at the time of writing.
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