OpenAI is eyeing hardware and Apple should be paying attention

OpenAI keeps popping up in the news, but not for the usual ChatGPT reasons this time. The more interesting chatter is about hardware.

A lot of that curiosity comes down to one name: Jony Ive. Yes, the man whose fingerprints are all over Apple’s most iconic products is now collaborating with OpenAI via his io company.

At first, the rumours were modest. Something about some wireless earbuds, AirPods-style. Then OpenAI’s chief global affairs officer Chris Lehane said the company’s “on track” to unveil its first device in the second half of 2026. His wording was careful, but the message was clear – something is coming.

The Apple connection does not stop with Ive. Janum Trivedi, who worked at Apple between 2019 and 2021 and contributed to major iPad software features, is now part of OpenAI’s design team, too. His role spans OpenAI, io, and LoveFrom, which strongly suggests hands on involvement in whatever hardware is being built.

Will it be a phone? Likely. Will it be an AI-first device that avoids the “smartphone but with a chatbot” trap? Possibly. Either way, OpenAI is clearly testing the waters beyond software.

The takeaway is that OpenAI wants a seat at the table when the AI phone conversation kicks off properly. And by the end of 2026, that table is going to be very crowded.