Qualcomm linked to OpenAI phone chip

Qualcomm shares jumped on April 27 after CNBC reported analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had tied the chipmaker to an OpenAI smartphone processor project. (cnbc.com) Kuo said Qualcomm would work with MediaTek on the chip, while Luxshare would co-design and manufacture the device for OpenAI. He said mass production is expected in 2028. (cnbc.com) (bloomberg.com) Qualcomm was up 7% just after the opening bell, according to CNBC, while Bloomberg reported the stock gained as much as 8.2% after Kuo’s post on X. (cnbc.com) (bloomberg.com) The reported pitch is an “AI agent” phone: a device that handles tasks through software assistants instead of making users hop between apps. Kuo said full control of hardware and operating system would let OpenAI deliver that kind of service. (cnbc.com) (techcrunch.com) TechCrunch reported Kuo expects the phone’s specifications and supplier list to be finalized by late 2026 or the first quarter of 2027. He also said the device would use a mix of small on-device models and cloud models. (techcrunch.com) That would put OpenAI deeper into consumer hardware one year after it agreed to buy Jony Ive’s startup io in a $6.4 billion all-equity deal. OpenAI said in May 2025 that Ive would take on design responsibilities across OpenAI and io. (cnbc.com) OpenAI has also said a first hardware product is on track to be unveiled in the second half of 2026, according to Axios and TechCrunch reports from Davos in January. Those reports did not identify a smartphone. (axios.com) (techcrunch.com) None of the three companies had confirmed the smartphone partnership when CNBC published its report. CNBC said Qualcomm, OpenAI and MediaTek did not immediately respond to requests for comment. (cnbc.com) For now, the market is trading the possibility that OpenAI wants its own path onto phones, with Qualcomm, MediaTek and Luxshare named as early hardware partners and 2028 as the date to watch. (cnbc.com) (techcrunch.com)