ChatGPT parent OpenAI may be accelerating its push into hardware with a smartphone that could reach mass production as early as 2027, according to noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
The device, described as an AI agent phone, signals a shift from speculation around experimental gadgets toward a more mainstream consumer product.
“OpenAI appears to be fast-tracking its first AI agent phone, with mass production targeted as early as 1H27. Potential drivers include supporting a year-end IPO narrative and intensifying competition in AI agent phones,” Kuo wrote in a post on X. Kuo is a supply chain analyst at TF International Securities, a financial services group in the Asia-Pacific region.
What is an AI agent phone?
While AI agent phones are still at a conceptual stage, they are expected to go beyond today’s AI assistants by enabling multiple autonomous agents to handle tasks independently. This would set them apart from current AI-enabled smartphones, such as the Google Pixel 10 series and Samsung Galaxy S series, which remain largely assistant-driven rather than fully agent-based.
Kuo added that the ChatGPT parent’s speculated phone is expected to run on a customised version of MediaTek Dimensity 9600, a next-generation chipset expected to be out in the second half of this year, targeting supreme AI and gaming performance, and which will succeed the Dimensity 9500 currently powering premium Android devices such as the Vivo X300 Pro and Oppo Find X9 Pro.
Key features
A key highlight of the custom chip is likely to be its image signal processor (ISP), which Kuo describes as featuring enhanced HDR capabilities. This could significantly improve real-world visual sensing, an area increasingly critical for AI-driven devices that rely on camera input for contextual awareness and interaction.
Beyond imaging, Kuo stated that the device may also include high-end hardware specifications such as LPDDR6 memory, allowing faster multitasking and smoother app switching, as well as UFS 5.0 storage, designed to load things much faster, reducing latency—in other words, enabling quicker reactions.
The device may also feature a dual-NPU architecture, enabling simultaneous processing of different AI workloads, including language and vision tasks. Security is another focus, with features such as pKVM virtualisation for sensitive tasks, and inline hashing expected to be integrated, said Kuo.
The analyst estimates that combined shipments for 2027 and 2028 could reach around 30 million units, placing the device in the range of a typical flagship smartphone launch from a major manufacturer such as Samsung.
Has OpenAI confirmed plans to build an AI agent smartphone?
The reported smartphone plans come amid broader moves by OpenAI to establish a foothold in hardware. In 2025, the company announced a $6.4 billion all-equity acquisition of io, an AI devices startup founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive. As part of the acquisition, Ive assumed deep creative and design responsibilities across both OpenAI and io, while his independent design collective LoveFrom continues to operate separately.
While OpenAI has not confirmed whether it indeed is developing an AI agent smartphone, chief global affairs officer Chris Lehane said during an Axios-hosted panel at Davos in January that the company is on track to unveil its first hardware device in the second half of the year.
Previous media reports suggested the device could even be screenless, or pocket-sized. In a November 2025 discussion, CEO Sam Altman and Ive spoke about their vision; Altman criticised modern devices for being overly distracting. In contrast, he suggested his startup’s upcoming device aims to prioritise calm and focus.
Other reports hinted at OpenAI also building earbuds or wearables, which may run on a custom 2-nanometer (2nm) processor, allowing it to handle AI tasks locally rather than relying heavily on cloud processing.
The device, described as an AI agent phone, signals a shift from speculation around experimental gadgets toward a more mainstream consumer product.
“OpenAI appears to be fast-tracking its first AI agent phone, with mass production targeted as early as 1H27. Potential drivers include supporting a year-end IPO narrative and intensifying competition in AI agent phones,” Kuo wrote in a post on X. Kuo is a supply chain analyst at TF International Securities, a financial services group in the Asia-Pacific region.
What is an AI agent phone?
While AI agent phones are still at a conceptual stage, they are expected to go beyond today’s AI assistants by enabling multiple autonomous agents to handle tasks independently. This would set them apart from current AI-enabled smartphones, such as the Google Pixel 10 series and Samsung Galaxy S series, which remain largely assistant-driven rather than fully agent-based.
Kuo added that the ChatGPT parent’s speculated phone is expected to run on a customised version of MediaTek Dimensity 9600, a next-generation chipset expected to be out in the second half of this year, targeting supreme AI and gaming performance, and which will succeed the Dimensity 9500 currently powering premium Android devices such as the Vivo X300 Pro and Oppo Find X9 Pro.
Key features
A key highlight of the custom chip is likely to be its image signal processor (ISP), which Kuo describes as featuring enhanced HDR capabilities. This could significantly improve real-world visual sensing, an area increasingly critical for AI-driven devices that rely on camera input for contextual awareness and interaction.
Beyond imaging, Kuo stated that the device may also include high-end hardware specifications such as LPDDR6 memory, allowing faster multitasking and smoother app switching, as well as UFS 5.0 storage, designed to load things much faster, reducing latency—in other words, enabling quicker reactions.
The device may also feature a dual-NPU architecture, enabling simultaneous processing of different AI workloads, including language and vision tasks. Security is another focus, with features such as pKVM virtualisation for sensitive tasks, and inline hashing expected to be integrated, said Kuo.
The analyst estimates that combined shipments for 2027 and 2028 could reach around 30 million units, placing the device in the range of a typical flagship smartphone launch from a major manufacturer such as Samsung.
Has OpenAI confirmed plans to build an AI agent smartphone?
The reported smartphone plans come amid broader moves by OpenAI to establish a foothold in hardware. In 2025, the company announced a $6.4 billion all-equity acquisition of io, an AI devices startup founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive. As part of the acquisition, Ive assumed deep creative and design responsibilities across both OpenAI and io, while his independent design collective LoveFrom continues to operate separately.
While OpenAI has not confirmed whether it indeed is developing an AI agent smartphone, chief global affairs officer Chris Lehane said during an Axios-hosted panel at Davos in January that the company is on track to unveil its first hardware device in the second half of the year.
Previous media reports suggested the device could even be screenless, or pocket-sized. In a November 2025 discussion, CEO Sam Altman and Ive spoke about their vision; Altman criticised modern devices for being overly distracting. In contrast, he suggested his startup’s upcoming device aims to prioritise calm and focus.
Other reports hinted at OpenAI also building earbuds or wearables, which may run on a custom 2-nanometer (2nm) processor, allowing it to handle AI tasks locally rather than relying heavily on cloud processing.
