OpenAI’s rumoured smartphone might be arriving earlier than anyone expected.
According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the company is now aiming to mass-produce its first “AI agent phone” in the first half of 2027. This is a significant shift from earlier timelines, with earlier estimates pointing closer to 2028.
The accelerated push suggests OpenAI is getting more serious about hardware, and quickly. Kuo says the move is partly tied to a potential IPO. A flagship device could help strengthen its pitch to investors. Additionally, there is growing competition in the emerging “AI phone” space.
Details are still thin, but the early picture is interesting. The device will run on a custom chip based on MediaTek’s Dimensity 9600, potentially built on TSMC’s next-gen process. It could also feature dual AI processors. These processors would handle things like vision and language tasks simultaneously. This is a hint at how OpenAI wants this to function less like a traditional smartphone and more like an always-on assistant.
One of the headline upgrades is the image signal processor. This will improve how the AI “sees” the world through the camera with enhanced HDR and real-time sensing. Combined with fast memory and storage, the device will have tighter security isolation. Therefore, the aim seems to be a device that can process context continuously, rather than waiting for users to open apps.
That’s the bigger shift here. Kuo believes AI agent phones will move away from the usual app-based experience. Instead, they will let users complete tasks through a context-aware interface. This is something OpenAI is uniquely exploring. This is especially true if it controls both hardware and software.
There’s still some overlap with OpenAI’s other hardware plans. The company is also reportedly working on a screen-less AI device with Jony Ive, now expected around 2027. This comes alongside longer-term ideas like smart glasses and earbuds. If all of this lands, OpenAI could quickly find itself competing with the likes of Apple across multiple product categories.
For now, the AI phone remains unofficial. But if this timeline holds, OpenAI’s biggest hardware play might be closer than expected.
