OpenAI and legendary designer Jony Ive have officially moved their long-rumored AI hardware project from concept to reality. After months of speculation, Sam Altman confirmed that the team now has its first working prototypes of the device—signaling that the product could launch in under two years.
The still-mysterious hardware is widely believed to be a screenless, pocketable AI gadget born out of OpenAI’s multibillion-dollar acquisition of Ive’s company, io Products. Internally described as a “third core device,” it’s designed to complement—not replace—your phone and laptop. Instead of adding more screens to daily life, the device attempts to quiet the noise of modern tech.
Altman often compares today’s smartphone experience to “walking through Times Square”—a constant barrage of notifications, apps, and distractions. In contrast, he says the new device aims to feel more like “sitting in the most beautiful cabin by a lake,” where technology works quietly in the background. The result is a product built around ambient intelligence—a system that senses context, anticipates needs, and surfaces information only when the moment is right.
Ive’s design approach leans into simplicity and whimsy. He describes the object as “almost naive in its simplicity,” while Altman calls it “simple, beautiful, and playful.” The pair even joke about applying a “lick or bite test” to the hardware—meaning the device should feel irresistibly tactile and emotionally inviting, the way great design often does. This playful ethos hints that the device may sit as comfortably in the world of lifestyle and fashion as it does in consumer tech.
Beyond aesthetics, the project represents a strategic shift for OpenAI. Rather than living on the glass slabs of Apple or Google’s platforms, the company aims to define its own hardware category—and shape what an AI-native interface should look like before competitors solidify the next era of personal computing. The device’s multimodal capabilities, simplicity-first design, and context-aware intelligence signal that OpenAI wants to lead the transition beyond smartphones altogether.
With a finalized prototype and an ambitious two-year launch window, the Altman–Ive partnership is entering its most defining phase. Whether the product becomes the next iPhone-level breakthrough or a niche experiment, it’s clear that OpenAI is betting big on a calmer, more intuitive future for personal tech.
