Is OpenAI making an AI-powered smartphone? Here’s what the reports say
Last Updated: 2026-04-27 13:06:03
OpenAI wants to take on Apple and Samsung with its own AI-powered smartphone that is tipped to launch somewhere in 2028. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has shared a detailed post on X, where he explains what OpenAI plans to do in the hardware category, how AI will be the centre of its evolution and who will be the partners for its device in the market. OpenAI is planning for different AI devices but a smartphone was not mentioned in the roster.
Kuo is reputed for sharing his insights and details about Apple for many years, and his credible know-how means the OpenAI news will undoubtedly have people eager to see how the supposed phone shapes out in the next few years.
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— 郭明錤｜Ming-Chi Kuo (@mingchikuo) April 27, 2026
OpenAI making a smartphone: Not shocking
Kuo claims OpenAI has already teamed up with MediaTek and Qualcomm for the hardware that will power the AI-centric phone. OpenAI aspires to make a phone that is completely run by AI agents and you don’t need different kinds of apps to use the device which has been the traditional way to get tasks done. The company feels AI can easily take over their duties and for that it needs a device to justify the running and efficiency.
Not only will OpenAI have the control over how the hardware is designed and manufactured but also keep the platform (OS) governing the tasks tuned to work. So why does OpenAI need a phone amongst all the other potential devices? Kuo points out, “the smartphone is the only device that captures the user’s full real-time state, which is the most important input for real-time AI agent inference.”
And he sees it being the largest-scale device category for years to come.
When will the OpenAI smartphone launch?
The analyst has noted down the timelines for when the OpenAI phone could be unveiled. Both MediaTek and Qualcomm should have the chip and the specs of the device finalised by late 2026 or early next year. Luxshare will be the main supplier for the device which is a big challenge against established vendors like Foxconn.
OpenAI needs to make money and just getting people to pay for ChatGPT was never going to be the answer. It has been working with Jony Ive for its series of AI devices but it seems all those plans have given way for the route one option, which is a smartphone. It will be intriguing to see how the company prices the product and whether the AI promise is delivered from day one and not given false hopes.