OpenAI rumoured to build phone
- Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said OpenAI is exploring an AI-first smartphone with Qualcomm, MediaTek and Luxshare, putting a new hardware rumor into motion. - Kuo said Luxshare would co-design and build the device, with mass production in 2028 and chip specifications finalized by late 2026 or early 2027. - The report extends OpenAI’s hardware push after its $6.4 billion io deal with Jony Ive. (cnbc.com)
OpenAI is reportedly exploring a smartphone built around AI agents instead of conventional apps, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. (techcrunch.com) (cnbc.com) Kuo said OpenAI would work with Qualcomm and MediaTek on the phone’s processor, while Luxshare Precision would serve as the exclusive system co-design and manufacturing partner. (cnbc.com) (macrumors.com) He said mass production is targeted for 2028, with exact chip specifications and additional suppliers expected to be settled by late 2026 or the first quarter of 2027. (macrumors.com) (thenextweb.com) The core idea is a phone that acts less like a grid of icons and more like a digital assistant that completes tasks across services. Kuo’s reported pitch is that users want outcomes, not “a pile of apps.” (cnet.com) (thenextweb.com) That would push more of the phone’s interface into software that can interpret requests, call tools and move between services on a user’s behalf. It also suggests developers may need cleaner application programming interfaces, or APIs, so an agent can book, buy or message without tapping through a screen. (techcrunch.com) (thenextweb.com) The report lands less than a year after OpenAI said it was buying io, Jony Ive’s device startup, for about $6.4 billion in stock. OpenAI said the deal would bring io in-house and give Ive deep creative and design responsibilities across OpenAI and io. (cnbc.com) (techcrunch.com) That acquisition had already signaled that OpenAI wanted to pair its models with dedicated hardware instead of relying only on other companies’ phones and computers. The new phone rumor points to a more direct challenge to Apple and Google’s control of the mobile interface. (cnbc.com) (9to5google.com) Investors treated the report as material to Qualcomm. CNBC said the stock jumped more than 7% just after the open on April 27, while other outlets described intraday gains that briefly reached double digits. (cnbc.com) (businessinsider.com) OpenAI has not publicly announced a phone, and the current reporting traces back to Kuo’s supply-chain checks rather than a company launch event or filing. Until OpenAI confirms a product, the device remains a rumor with a long runway to 2028. (techcrunch.com) (cnbc.com)
