OpenAI is reportedly exploring a smartphone project with major chipmakers, aiming to expand its AI ecosystem through dedicated consumer hardware
A slew of rumours regarding OpenAI’s hardware plans, involving the launch of new earbuds and other products, have been doing the rounds on the internet. A new note from industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggests that the AI company might be working on a phone in collaboration with MediaTek, Qualcomm, and Luxshare. Kuo has previously also shared several hardware plans. The new update outlines that OpenAI could develop a smartphone chip with MediaTek and Qualcomm, with Luxshare acting as a co-design and manufacturing partner.
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The analyst further suggests that the smartphone could rely on AI agents to complete different tasks. Kuo also adds that by launching its own smartphone and hardware stack, OpenAI would be able to use AI across features without restrictions. With GPT nearing a billion weekly users, a hardware product for daily use could be the push OpenAI needs to reach more consumers.
Kuo has further added that OpenAI’s smartphone would be designed to continuously understand users’ context. By offering the phone itself, the company could gain access to more data about users’ habits than a simple app would be able to provide. The note also added that the company would work on a mixture of small on-device models to handle a wide range of requests.
The smartphone’s specifications and components are expected to be finalized by the end of this year or by the first quarter of 2027. Mass production of the device is expected to start in 2028. Earlier this year, OpenAI Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane said that the company is on track to announce its first hardware product in the second half of 2026.
First Published:
April 27, 2026, 22:33 IST
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