OpenAI and Jony Ive's mystery device delayed until 2027
OpenAI has officially pushed back the launch of its first hardware device, designed by former Apple design chief Jony Ive, to at least February 2027. Court documents from an ongoing trademark battle also reveal OpenAI has scrapped the "io" branding and hasn't started marketing materials yet. Why it matters: The screenless "third core device" carries sky-high expectations, but turning hype into retail hardware is proving harder than expected.
Sam Altman's "coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen" won't see the light of day anytime soon.
OpenAI's highly anticipated first hardware device, designed in collaboration with former Apple design chief Jony Ive, has been delayed to at least early 2027, according to court documents uncovered by Wired.
The lawsuit delay
OpenAI originally aimed to ship the ChatGPT-powered gadget to consumers before the end of 2026.
However, in a fresh court filing stemming from an ongoing trademark battle with audio hardware startup iyO, OpenAI confirmed the hardware won't ship to customers before the end of February 2027.
IyO filed the lawsuit last year after OpenAI acquired io, the hardware startup founded by Ive. In the filing, OpenAI stated it reviewed its branding roadmap and decided not to use the name "io" or "IYO" in any capitalization across any of its future AI hardware marketing, naming, or sales.
Even more telling: the filing reveals that OpenAI has not yet created packaging or marketing materials for the device.
That also shuts down the viral Reddit rumors from over the weekend claiming OpenAI pulled a Super Bowl ad. The circulated video showed actor Alexander Skarsgård tapping a reflective metallic puck while wearing silver headphones. Despite being shared by Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian, the ad was completely fake.
A pocket device with zero screens
While details remain heavily guarded, filings and earlier leaks paint an intriguing picture of the mysterious gadget.
OpenAI internally pitched the product as a "third core device" designed to live in your pocket or sit on your desk beside a MacBook Pro and an iPhone.
Previous court records clarified that it is neither an in-ear device nor a wearable. Instead, it is a pocket-sized, completely screen-free gadget built to be contextually aware of your surrounding environment and daily life.
Altman famously tested Ive's prototype at home and reportedly hyped it to OpenAI employees as an unprecedented leap in consumer tech.
Why it matters
Building physical hardware is a brutal wake-up call for software giants used to shipping updates overnight.
For consumers hoping for an early taste of Jony Ive's next big thing, the takeaway is clear: you won't be buying this anytime soon. With no packaging designed and marketing plans still blank, early 2027 feels like the earliest possible baseline for a limited rollout.
Strategically, this delay is a double-edged sword. On one hand, OpenAI wants its own dedicated hardware entry point so it doesn't remain beholden to Apple's iOS or Google's Android. Taking an extra year gives mobile giants even more runway to integrate contextual AI directly into the phones we already own.
On the other hand, we think pumping the brakes is the smartest move OpenAI could make here. Hardware graveyards are already littered with cautionary tales like the Humane AI Pin and Rabbit r1, which rushed half-baked, screen-free ideas to market and paid the price.
With Ive's relentless perfectionism involved, rushing a prototype out the door in 2026 would have been reckless. OpenAI looks willing to absorb the short-term PR drag to ensure its third core device doesn't turn into just another AI novelty paperweight.
Sources (1)
- macrumors.com(opens in a new tab)Originalmacrumors.com