It seems like the AI giant OpenAI is planning to tap into hardware space with a bunch of new products with designer Jony Ive. According to the recent report by The Verge, the company is working on screen-free AI speakers, smart glasses, and even a wearable pin. So let’s take a closer look at OpenAI’s hardware push.
What do we know so far?
We all know that OpenAI acquired Ive’s startup io Products in mid-2025. It was then revealed that Ive and his creative collective (LoveFrom) will handle design and creative work across OpenAI.
The company is engaging Apple’s hardware supply chain. It has already secured a contract with Luxshare, which is a big assembler of Apple hardware, and approached Goertek to supply components such as speaker modules.
Now the news has been floating on the internet that the company is working on a speaker-like device, but without a display, smart glasses, a digital voice recorder, and a wearable pin. These devices are said to arrive around late 2026 or early 2027.
Why Hardware?
Now, the question that comes to anyone’s mind is, while OpenAI is a pretty successful company in the AI space, why is Sam Altman focusing on the hardware side? Since it’s a very drastic change for the company.
Well, the answer, I think, is competition. Companies like Apple, Google, Meta, and others are investing heavily in smart glasses, wearable tech, and hands-free or less-screen-based interactions. So this could open new markets beyond phones and computers for OpenAI, and the devices that the company is working on fit pretty well with the AI ecosystem of the company.
