We’ve already seen a few devices fully focused on AI features, such as the Humane AI Pin and the Rabbit R1, which were far from successful. Rumor has it that Apple is also willing to try launching an AI-powered smart pin, and virtually every smartphone maker is boasting about AI features, but the leading AI company is yet to join the hardware market.
OpenAI won’t launch the teased Jony Ive-designed AI gadget before 2027
The collaboration between Apple’s ex Chief Design Officer and OpenAI won’t lead to a device release until 2027, according to a court filing reported by Wired. Peter Welinder, vice president and general manager of OpenAI, said in the filing that the company won’t ship its first hardware device to customers before the end of February 2027.
The court filing is related to a trademark infringement lawsuit filed by audio device startup iyO, which sued OpenAI after the acquisition of Jony Ive’s startup io. In the filing, Welinder says that OpenAI decided not to use the name ‘io’, ‘IYO’ or any capitalization of either for its products.
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Still a mystery
Screenshot from the fake OpenAI Super Bowl ad. | Image Credit – @signulll on X
OpenAI says it hasn’t created any marketing materials or packaging for it. The company hasn’t shared any specifics about what the device could be, but it’s unlikely to be an in-ear gadget or a wearable.
Meanwhile, the rumors about the gadget are running wild. Over the weekend, a viral Reddit thread claimed that OpenAI pulled a Super Bowl ad revealing the device. The thread included what was supposed to be the pulled ad featuring actor Alexander Skarsgård wearing a pair of earbuds and tapping a futuristic puck. OpenAI president Greg Brockman and the company’s spokesperson Lindsay McCallum Rémy said the ad was fake.
What features would make you buy an AI-powered gadget?
OpenAI first announced it wanted to create a full family of AI devices when it acquired Jony Ive’s consumer hardware startup in a $6.5 billion deal in May 2025. Since then, the company has been teasing the device but hasn’t shared anything specific about it.
Let it come
Considering the utility of smartphones, it’s hard for me to imagine what sort of device would feel useful enough to push them away from our lives. Even looking through the most rose-tinted glasses, I struggle to understand why I would add another device that is likely to do stuff my phone should be capable of doing. I’m open to being proven wrong, though, and would love to see OpenAI’s gadget.
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Ilia, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been covering the mobile industry since 2011, with experience at outlets like Forbes Bulgaria. Passionate about smartphones, tablets, and consumer tech, he blends deep industry knowledge with a personal fascination that began with his first Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Lima, Peru, Ilia balances his tech obsessions with walking his dog, training at the gym, and slowly mastering Spanish.
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