OpenAI is preparing to enter the hardware market with help from Apple’s supply chain. The company has signed a deal with Luxshare, one of Apple’s key assembly partners, to build at least one upcoming device and has approached Goertek for components, according to a Sept. 19 report by The Information. Luxshare currently assembles iPhones and AirPods, while Goertek handles AirPods, HomePods, and Apple Watches.
The AI startup is exploring several device concepts, including a smart speaker, digital voice recorder, wearable pin, and AI-powered glasses. Its first product could arrive late next year or in early 2027. The move follows OpenAI’s acquisition of io in May, a hardware startup founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive and other ex-Apple designers. OpenAI announced that io would form the foundation of its devices division, tasked with rethinking how people interact with AI.
CEO Sam Altman said at the time that new devices are needed for the AI era and suggested they could redefine personal computing. COO Brad Lightcap later described the vision as creating an “ambient computer layer” that lets users access AI seamlessly, without relying on screens. CFO Sarah Friar added that the shift could mirror the leap from flip phones to smartphones, emphasizing that AI’s multimodal intelligence — its ability to process voice, vision, and text together — will transform how people engage with technology.
By working with seasoned Apple suppliers, OpenAI gains the expertise and production capacity needed to bring its vision to life. If successful, the company’s hardware push could establish a new category of devices built around AI-first interactions, moving beyond traditional computing into a more natural, intuitive era of digital access.
