Last week, Ming-Chi Kuo reported that OpenAI's hardware ambitions now include a smartphone that would directly compete with the iPhone. A new update from Kuo suggests that the company is moving even faster than expected to launch OpenAI's first phone.
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OpenAI appears to be accelerating the development of its first AI agent phone, aiming for mass production as early as the first half of 2027. Potential drivers include supporting an IPO narrative by the end of the year and intensifying competition in AI agent phones. MediaTek appears well-positioned to become the sole processor supplier, with the device using a customized version of the Dimensity 9600, to be manufactured at TSMC's N2P facility in the second half of 2026.
ISP is a core specification, with an improved HDR pipeline to improve the visual experience in the real world.
Other key specs include a dual-NPU architecture for heterogeneous AI computing, LPDDR6 + UFS 5.0 to alleviate memory bottlenecks, and pKVM + inline hashing for security. If development stays on track, combined shipments for 2027–2028 could reach around 30 million units.
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If mass production of the OpenAI phone can take place in the first half of 2027, a public release in the fall would likely be the goal.
Releasing a smartphone next year sounds extremely ambitious. OpenAI has been working on hardware devices for a while, but the shift towards building a smartphone seems very recent.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altmanhas recently hinted at the company's work on the phone. He said that now is the time to "think seriously about how operating systems and user interfaces are designed."
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The company is working with longtime Apple design chief Jony Iveon its hardware lineup. Ive has appeared hesitant to revisit the smartphone, expressing a desire to address some of the social issues smartphones have created with his next wave of hardware designs. However, Ive is believed to be heavily involved in OpenAI's phone project.
