US tech giant OpenAI has reportedly teamed up with Apple supplier Luxshare to develop a new consumer device, according to The Information, which cited sources familiar with the matter. The product is still in the prototype stage and is expected to be compact and context-aware.
According to the report, the OpenAI device will be built to integrate closely with the company's advanced AI models. If launched, the device could offer a new way for users to interact with AI. This also means a potential challenge to the role of smartphones and existing consumer tech by providing a fresh alternative to traditional hardware.
Earlier this year, OpenAI acquired hardware startup io Products, founded by former Apple designer Jony Ive. This marked a key $6.5 billion deal. This move highlights OpenAI's efforts to expand beyond software and enter the consumer hardware market.
Luxshare, a key assembler of Apple's iPhones and AirPods, would provide OpenAI with large-scale manufacturing support if the plan goes through. OpenAI has also contacted China-based Goertek, known for assembling AirPods, HomePods, and Apple Watches, to supply components like speaker modules for its upcoming devices, The Information report said.
This project is one of the most ambitious efforts by an AI company to develop a dedicated device. This could signal a new era for consumer technology, moving beyond just smartphones and PCs. The report also indicated that the device could be launched by 2027.
The aim is to build an “AI-native” product, a hardware specifically designed from scratch to work seamlessly with AI models, according to Reuters. This approach could redefine how users interact with artificial intelligence in everyday life.
According to analysts cited by Reuters, this move could help OpenAI enter new markets and establish a presence in consumer electronics, an industry still dominated by Apple, Samsung, and Google's parent company, Alphabet. China's Luxshare was founded in 2004 by former Foxconn worker Wang Laichun and her brother and has grown into a key Apple supplier.
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