For the past couple of weeks, I have been seeing more and more reports claiming that OpenAI has bigger hardware plans than a smartphone. We have already spoken about rumours of an OpenAI phone, but new reports now point to a collection of products covering smart speakers, smart glasses and even a small keyboard that has already sold out.
OpenAI has kept most of its consumer hardware plans under wraps, although bits of information have started coming out through supply chain reports, interviews and product launches. Looking at each report on its own only gives a small bit of information. Reading them together gives a better understanding of what OpenAI is expected to have in development over the next few years.
There is also one product that is no longer a rumour, though. OpenAI has already released its first hardware product, although it is probably not what many people expected.
What Has OpenAI Already Released?
OpenAI’s first hardware product is called the Codex Micro, a compact keyboard made in partnership with keyboard company Work Louder. It costs $230 and is designed for software developers who use OpenAI’s Codex coding assistant.
The square keyboard has 12 programmable keys, a joystick, a rotating dial and colourful LED lighting. An illuminated ring lets users know what Codex is doing, such as working on a task or reporting an error. The dial adjusts how hard the AI works on a task, and the joystick can launch coding actions such as debugging or refactoring.
The device sold out in around 12 hours. According to Fortune, people began listing it on eBay within hours. One listing reached $1,850, although completed sales were generally lower, with many selling between $800 and $1,000 before later coming down to around $450.
Mike Di Genova, co founder of Work Louder, admitted he expected stock to last longer.
“I thought it was going to take at least a month to sell through the inventory. It was limited stock, but they purchased a lot.”
The Codex Micro is not meant for everyday consumers and Fortune reported that OpenAI developed it as a separate project from its consumer hardware, although it is giving the company useful feedback about how people interact with AI through physical devices.
What Devices Could Be Released Next?
The product receiving the most interest is a portable smart speaker being developed with former Apple designer Jony Ive.
According to MacRumors, the speaker will not have a screen. It is expected to use ChatGPT and voice interaction. Reports also claim it will have a rechargeable battery, cameras that understand its surroundings and mechanical elements that move, giving the device more personality than a traditional smart speaker.
OpenAI reportedly wants it to control smart home devices, answer requests, play music, respond to messages and become more personalised over time.
Sam Altman has already spoken enthusiastically about an early prototype, telling employees it was “the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen.”
MacRumors reported that the speaker could be released in early 2027 with a price between $200 and $300.
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What Do We Know About The OpenAI Phone?
The smartphone rumours have become a lot more specific over recent months and MacRumors reported that supply chain analyst Ming Chi Kuo calls the device an “AI agent phone”. The device would constantly understand where the user is, what they are doing and what they need instead of depending too much on apps.
Reports claim the phone will use a customised MediaTek processor, advanced camera hardware and separate AI processors that can process vision and language tasks at the same time.
Kuo believes production could begin during the first half of 2027, with shipments across 2027 and 2028 reaching around 30 million units if development continues as expected.
What Else Could OpenAI Be Building?
Reports also mention smart glasses, smart earbuds and a smart lamp as possible products, although MacRumors reported these are well away and could change before reaching consumers.
OpenAI’s hardware plans have grown over a short period following its $6.5 billion acquisition of Jony Ive’s startup io Products. MacRumors also reported that more than 400 former Apple employees have joined OpenAI, bringing experience from hardware design teams across the company.
That recruitment also resulted in legal action. Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI on July 10 over alleged trade secret theft. OpenAI responded, saying it has “no interest in other companies’ trade secrets.”
Voice interaction is also becoming a bigger priority across OpenAI’s hardware products. OpenAI co founder and president Greg Brockman explained why he believes speaking to computers could become more normal. He said, “Voice is the interface of the future because it means the computer moves closer to you rather than you having to contort yourself around the machine.”
He also said people may eventually look back on “clicking and typing” as “a phase.”
OpenAI has not publicly confirmed most of these products or their release dates. The reports from the past few weeks give a more complete understanding of what the company is expected to have in development. If they prove accurate, OpenAI could soon have a collection of hardware products covering far more than the smartphone that first caught everyone’s interest.
