Sam Altman And Jony Ive Reveal Their iPhone-Killer Could Debut By 2027

In May, Sam Altman announced that OpenAI had teamed up with Jony Ive for a family of new hardware devices that could see the light of day as soon as 2026. While the timeframe has likely been pushed to 2027, little has been discussed about the first product they plan on launching — until now. In a video posted by Emerson Collective, Sam Altman was involved in an on-stage discussion with former Apple design chief Jony Ive and Laurene Powell Jobs, the wife of Steve Jobs. During the video, Altman reveals OpenAI finally has the first prototype of its new hardware. "I can't believe how jaw-dropping good the work is and how exciting it is," said Altman.

While the CEO didn't reveal what the exact product is, he said OpenAI is aiming for a calmer vibe with its hardware, which is the opposite of smartphones that feel like walking through Times Square. "You can then go for a vibe that is not like walking through Times Square and getting bumped into and having all this stuff compete for your attention," Altman said. "But, like, sitting in the most beautiful cabin by a lake and in the mountains and sort of just enjoying the peace and calm."

So far, Altman has only given the media a tiny glimpse into what the company's first AI product will be about. That said, the safest bet is that this device, obviously, will have ChatGPT integration to aid with daily activities. What gives credibility to this is that Altman and Ive have previously said that they want people to see AI as a friend and not a scary machine. With that in mind, the device might shape up to be similar to Friend — an AI-powered pendant.

It has also been suggested that this futuristic AI device may not share any similarities with a phone, as it may not even have a display. It's going to be interesting to see Altman and Jony Ive introduce this hardware by 2027 — right in time for Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone — the iPhone 20. After all, they believe they're creating a successor to the device that revolutionized the mobile industry almost two decades ago.