OpenAI AI Device to Be Made by Foxconn

On January 19, at the Axios House Davos event in Switzerland, OpenAI's Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane revealed that the company is on track to launch its first AI device in the second half of 2026. Lehane highlighted the device as one of OpenAI's most anticipated projects this year but did not share detailed specifications. While the target remains a 2026 release, Lehane cautioned that the exact timeline depends on development progress, with more updates expected later this year.

The device traces back to OpenAI's May announcement of its $6.5 billion acquisition of AI hardware startup io, founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive. io aims to release its first AI “companion” device by the end of 2026, with an ambitious goal of reaching 100 million units.

Jony Ive, known for leading the design of iconic Apple products including the iPhone, iPad, iPod, and MacBook Air, as well as contributing to Apple Park's architecture, founded the creative studio LoveFrom after leaving Apple in 2019. io is a hardware venture incubated within LoveFrom in 2024. Following the acquisition, Ive is collaborating with OpenAI to design a “third-category” device—neither a phone nor smart glasses—that leverages multimodal perception (visual, voice, environmental analysis) to interact deeply with users. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman refers to it as an “AI companion.”

According to sources cited by The Information, Altman and Ive previewed the device with OpenAI employees in May 2025. Discussions with manufacturing partners suggest the device could resemble a smart speaker without a display. Recent leaks indicate that OpenAI's first product may be an AI audio headset, targeting a September 2026 launch with an estimated 40–50 million units in its first year, to be produced in Vietnam, though alternative locations—including the U.S.—are under consideration. This shift from earlier manufacturing rumors reflects OpenAI's preference not to produce the device in mainland China.

OpenAI's Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar highlighted that the company's computing capacity grew from 0.6 GW in 2024 to 1.9 GW in 2025. Revenue scaled correspondingly, from $6 billion in 2024 to over $20 billion in 2025. With a large existing user base, OpenAI's first hardware device is expected to attract strong market interest.