OpenAI is preparing to lift the curtain on its long-rumored hardware ambitions, with the company expected to unveil its first device by the end of 2026.
The revelation came from OpenAI’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, Chris Lehane, who shared the update during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.
While Chris Lehane acknowledged that timelines may shift depending on technological progress, he stressed that the project remains on schedule, reinforcing earlier reports that pointed to a possible launch later this year, around September.
Although OpenAI has remained tight-lipped about the device’s exact function, a growing trail of leaks is offering clues. A China-based leaker known as “Smart Pikachu” claims the company is gearing up to enter the consumer audio space, potentially taking aim at market leaders like Apple’s AirPods.
According to the leak, global manufacturing giant Foxconn is producing a “special audio product” under the codename Sweetpea, part of a broader development effort known as Project Gumdrop. The device is rumored to feature an open-ear or earbud-style design, paired with an egg-shaped charging case.
The hardware is also said to be powered by a cutting-edge 2-nanometer, smartphone-grade chip, signaling serious processing muscle. Additionally, reports suggest OpenAI could roll out as many as four more devices between now and 2028, including a home-focused smart device and a smart pen.
Official insight into the project has largely come from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and renowned designer Jony Ive. Ive’s design firm, LoveFrom, partnered with OpenAI last year to shape the product. Both have described the device as exceptionally intuitive so seamless that users may barely notice they are interacting with technology.
Following the Davos remarks, anticipation is building across the tech world, with many now expecting the first product from this high-profile collaboration to arrive before the year concludes.
