OpenAI is gearing up to release its first hardware device. This was announced by the company's Global Affairs Director, Chris Lehan, at the Axios House event in Davos. He added that the company is "on track" to present the device in the latter half of 2026.

This aligns with industry forecasts that anticipate the commercial launch of OpenAI's hardware product in 2027, yet the official announcement this year is already garnering interest within the tech industry.

Meanwhile, Jony Ive's io team at OpenAI has welcomed former Apple employee Janum Trivedi, who previously worked on projects like SpringBoard and developed features such as Split View, Multitasking Drag & Drop, and gestures for iPadOS 15. Trivedi has joined the OpenAI × LoveFrom design team, focusing on io products.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and former Apple designer Jony Ive announced their collaboration last May to create a family of hardware products for AI. Recently, they confirmed that the first prototype is ready, and development is ongoing.

Notably, earlier this month, The Information reported that OpenAI is enhancing its audio models ahead of the hardware product launch, which will primarily focus on audio.

Thus, 2026 could mark a significant milestone for OpenAI in the realm of proprietary hardware.