Who is OpenAI partnering with to build a new AI device?

OpenAI is teaming up with legendary Apple designer Jony Ive to create a new category of AI-powered hardware — one that could change how we interact with computers forever.
Their joint project, in collaboration with Ive’s startup io and design studio LoveFrom, has been quietly in development since 2023 and is now officially confirmed. The goal: build a portable, ambient AI device that blends into daily life and communicates via natural language.
Unlike smartphones or smart glasses, the upcoming device won’t resemble anything we’ve seen before. Instead, it aims to become a “third essential device” — alongside the iPhone and MacBook — according to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
Internally, Altman told employees that the $6.5B partnership could push OpenAI’s valuation toward $1 trillion. The first product is expected to ship in 2026, with a long-term vision of selling over 100 million units.
Inspired by sci-fi films like Her, the device is designed to act like a context-aware AI assistant, fully integrated with OpenAI models and deeply rooted in Jony Ive’s minimalist design philosophy.