OpenAI could be making a phone with AI agents replacing apps

· hardware ai · Source ↗

TLDR

  • Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reports OpenAI is developing a smartphone with MediaTek, Qualcomm, and Luxshare, targeting mass production in 2028.

Key Facts

  • Kuo says OpenAI would co-develop a smartphone chip with MediaTek and Qualcomm; Luxshare would handle co-design and manufacturing.
  • The phone would replace apps with AI agents, giving OpenAI direct hardware control over system access and features.
  • Component suppliers and specs are expected to be finalized by end of 2026 or Q1 2027; mass production starts 2028.
  • OpenAI’s Chief Global Affairs Officer previously said the company’s first hardware product would be announced in H2 2026.

Why It Matters

  • Building its own hardware stack would let OpenAI bypass app-store restrictions that currently limit what AI features can access on-device.
  • Kuo says the phone would continuously learn user context, giving OpenAI access to behavioral data beyond what an app can collect.

Ivan Mehta, TechCrunch · 2026-04-27 · Read the original

Related coverage