OpenAI's hardware goals are not a secret, but the company has long stated that it has not been making phones. However, a new report claims that this is no longer the case and that OpenAI is working on an iPhone competitor.

Ming-Chi Kuo Says OpenAI Plans to Launch Its First Phone in 2028

If you have been following OpenAI's hardware rumors, you may know that the company has been working on AI-integrated hardware devices with former Apple design chief Jony Ive.

The first product expected to be launched is a new HomePod-type smart speaker integrated with ChatGPT and featuring a built-in camera. Smart glasses and smart lamps are also reported to be in development.

While previous reports have consistently stated that OpenAI was not working on a phone, this no longer seems to be the case.

Here’s what analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a post on X:

OpenAI is working with MediaTek and Qualcomm to develop smartphone processors, while Luxshare is the exclusive system design and manufacturing partner. Mass production is expected to start in 2028… Specifications and suppliers will be finalized by the end of 2026 or the first quarter of 2027.

Kuo also believes that AI agents will shape the OpenAI smartphone and that it will offer a very different experience from the iPhone.

It is probably not a coincidence that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman made the following post on X yesterday:

It seems like a good time to seriously rethink how operating systems and user interfaces are designed

(the internet; should be a protocol equally usable by people and agents)

— Sam Altman (@sama) April 26, 2026

OpenAI once believed it could upend the iPhone with its first AI devices, perhaps now thinking that smartphones will play a central role in AI applications.

This closely resembles the belief expressed by Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas last week; he said, “the iPhone has actually not been upended by AI at all.” Instead, he argued that as AI develops, the iPhone has become more valuable for users.

What do you think about OpenAI creating its own phone? Let us know in the comments.