OpenAI Bets on Hardware: AI Speaker and Agent Phone on the Horizon

OpenAI is moving beyond software into hardware, previewing its first devices: a portable, screenless AI speaker developed with Jony Ive that runs GPT-Live for personalized, proactive home use, and an AI agent smartphone with a context-aware interface. The speaker reportedly includes a battery, camera, and moving parts, with a planned early-2027 release at $200–$300. The phone would use a customized MediaTek Dimensity 9600 chip on a TSMC node, with mass production targeted for the first half of 2027 and manufacturing via Luxshare and Sunny Optical; OpenAI aims for a broader lineup (glasses, lamp, earbuds) tied to its io Products acquisition, while Apple’s related trade secrets lawsuit could influence timing.