When former Apple design guru Jony Ive claims it's "the best work his team has ever done," the tech world listens. And when OpenAI CEO Sam Altman adds that he's holding "the coolest piece of technology the world has ever seen," expectations skyrocket.
The fusion of artificial intelligence and cutting-edge industrial design has become a reality. In a joint open letter and accompanying video, Sam Altman and Jony Ive announced a new partnership based on friendship, curiosity and shared values. The result is the creation of a company oh, which will focus on developing an entirely new family of hardware devices deeply imbued with artificial intelligence. OpenAI has now officially acquired the mysterious startup in a deal worth about $6.5 billion, the largest acquisition in the company's history. This OpenAI got a special department for developing AI devices and collaborating with legendary designer Ive and a team of veterans who co-created iconic products like the iPhone.
Jony Ive, the celebrated designer of the iMac, iPod, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, left Apple in 2019 to found his own design collective, LoveFrom. Now, he’s returning to the forefront of consumer technology as an independent partner through a merger with OpenAI. Sam Altman, the head of OpenAI and one of the main players in the AI revolution of recent years, is realizing a long-held vision with this step: to move artificial intelligence from screens and cloud services to physical device, which will bring AI to the masses in a whole new way. “AI is such a huge leap forward in what humans can do that it needs a new computer device shape", which will allow its full potential to be exploited," Altman emphasizes.
Collaboration Background: Ive ft. Altman
The story of the Altman-Ive partnership began about two years ago, when the OpenAI and LoveFrom teams quietly began joint research. Altman and Ive revealed that for two years they had been developing the first conceptual solutions together, optimistic and inspiring ideas that gradually grew into tangible plans. It soon became clear that these ambitions could outgrow the framework of traditional products and require a completely new approach.
In 2023, Ive founded a startup oh, officially registered in the US, with the aim of developing, engineering and manufacturing a new generation of devices for the era of advanced artificial intelligence. In doing so, it has surrounded itself with proven experts: among the co-founders of io are former Apple employees Evans Hankey (who was Apple's head of industrial design until 2023 after Ive's departure), Tang Tan (lead designer for iPhone and Apple Watch until 2024) and Scott CannonIt's no coincidence that this is a team with an exceptional pedigree – these are designers and engineers who have already proven that they can create breakthrough devices.
OpenAI was involved in the project from the beginning; in late 2023, it acquired a minority, ~23% stake in io in exchange for funding. By May 2025, the collaboration had developed into a full partnership. takeover: OpenAI announced a merger or acquisition of io for approximately $5 billion in equity (valuing the startup at nearly $6.5 billion). io's team of approximately 55 top-notch hardware engineers, software developers, product and manufacturing experts will join OpenAI. Jony Ive will remain independent with his LoveFrom collective, but will take a leadership role in design and creative direction for both OpenAI and io. He leads OpenAI's new hardware division Peter Welinder, Altman's longtime collaborator in experimental product development and robotics.
Both sides emphasize that they share common values and vision. “It’s a relationship and a way of working together that I think will created and created and created products,” Ive said of the partnership with Altman. Altman, in turn, describes Ive as “unparalleled” in his ability to connect technology, design, and human understanding. The synergy between the AI pioneer and the designer who defined the modern consumer tech language raises hopes that something is in store. truly groundbreaking.
What do we know about the new device? What is the most anticipated device after the iPhone?
Despite the bombastic statements in the presentation video, details about the device remain shrouded in mystery. However, from official hints and reports, a few things have been revealed. key facts we can still extract it. Altman and Ive made it clear that they don't want just another smartphone, laptop, or glasses - but something completely new“Just as the smartphone didn’t replace the laptop, our first device, in my opinion, won't replace the smartphone,” explains Altman. “It’s about a completely new type of product.” Ive adds that users today are “they want something new, which reflects a certain discomfort with the current offering” – a hint that current products (phones, tablets, computers) do not address all needs or cause dissatisfaction (e.g. screen addiction). That is why their first device should truly represent a new category at the intersection of design and artificial intelligence.
What is the most anticipated device after the iPhone?! According to media reports, the mysterious product will be designed as “third central device” in our everyday lives – something that will complement our smartphones and computers, without replacing them. Altman described the device to his employees as a personal AI "companion", which will be seamlessly integrated into our lives. It will be equipped with sensors and intelligence to fully aware of the user's environment and habits, which promises much more contextually tailored interactions than today's devices. Interestingly, Altman explicitly emphasizes that this is not about smart glasses or similar wearable technology - Jony Ive is reportedly even skeptical of the concept of constantly worn gadgets on the body. This suggests that the solution will be different from previous attempts (e.g. Google/Meta glasses, smartwatches or badges), perhaps a device that we have nearby or that works in the environment around us.
Altman himself said that he was literally captivated by the first prototype that Ive entrusted to him for testing. “Jony recently gave me one of the prototypes of this device at home… I think it’s the coolest technology the world has ever seen,” Altman enthused in a video interview. Such words are unusually bold – especially from someone who has access to cutting-edge AI. From them, however, we can conclude that a prototype already exists and is functional to the point of being used. Altman personally testsIve, meanwhile, hints that the project is a career highlight for him: “I have a growing feeling that everything I've learned over the past 30 years has led me to this very moment,” he says of the new device. It’s clear that both believe they’re on the cusp of something extraordinary. They plan to unveil the first product publicly in 2026, because they want to make it "worth the wait" - as Altman says - and to finally polish the ambitious project.
Details about the design, interface and functionality have not yet been revealed. Unofficial information suggests that it could be a device with minimalist or completely new interface – perhaps without a classic screen – as Ive often laments the unintended consequences of the iPhone (e.g. too much screen time). Instead, speculation is rife about a more ambient approach: voice control, virtual assistants, information projection, or something completely unexpected. Altman also indicated that he wants to make the hardware as accessible as possible and democratic – the goal is to put the device in the hands of “anyone who has an idea they want to realize with the help of AI,” as he says. This suggests that OpenAI is targeting broad mass adoption, not just niche tech enthusiasts, although the question remains what the price of such an advanced product will be.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Altman is internally predicting a huge market success. According to him, the device is expected to sell at a record pace – reaching 100 million users faster than any previous new technology device. The ambition is therefore nothing less than to create the next big platform in the world of technology. It is not surprising that there are already whispers in Silicon Valley about “AI-generation iPhone” and wonders if this mysterious invention will repeat the success story of the smartphone.
Expectations under the microscope of history
There are no shortage of signs that this is one of the biggest technological feats of the decade. Media is a partnership OpenAI–Ive immediately marked as a forecast “AI devices that will cause a revolution”, and Altman and Ive promise nothing less than “the coolest thing ever". In a dazzling 9-minute promotional video, shot in the golden afternoon light of San Francisco, the duo unabashedly expounds on breakthrough goalsAltman, for example, says they have a chance "rethink what it means to use a computer"and that we stand"at the beginning of the greatest technological revolution of our lifetime". Statements of this caliber were rare in the past – we heard them mainly from the mouths of Steve Jobs at Apple product launches in his prime. It's no coincidence that the parallels with Jobson's charisma and expectations at the launch of the first iPhone are already a topic of discussion in the tech community.
In fact, they are expectations comparable to the launch of the iPhone in 2007 – a device that was not just a new gadget, but the beginning of a new mobile computing era. Ive, who designed the iPhone, is now on a mission to surpass his own masterpiece. Generative artificial intelligence, which ChatGPT embodies in the world of software, is expected to gain its “physical” manifestation with the help of the new device, much like the Internet gained its pocket portal through smartphones. Some analysts believe that AI represents the biggest industrial change since the release of the iPhone – and that Altman’s device may become the symbol of this new era.
But history also teaches us that high expectations can bring great disappointments. Let's remember the mysterious project “Ginger”, which was kicking up dust at the turn of the millennium. At the time, Apple founder Steve Jobs predicted that this invention would “the same size as a personal computer"and that it will be"changed the way cities are designed". High-profile investors claimed it would be bigger than the internet. When the product was finally unveiled, it turned out that "Ginger" was actually Segways, a two-wheeled electric scooter. Although a technical engineering marvel, the Segway by no means lived up to its astronomical predictions – instead of revolutionizing urban transportation, it became a niche tourist-sightseeing vehicle. The Segway case remains a textbook example of how excessive hype can be detrimental if the final product fails to deliver the excesses promised.
We have also seen in the field of artificial intelligence devices first failures.Startup Humane, founded by former Apple employees, launched a pocket-sized AI device in the form of a badge (so-called AI Pin), which was supposed to be a new way to interact with computers without a screen. Investors and the media hyped the project as the first major “AI gadget” in history, but it quickly turned out to be full of flaws – it overheated, had software bugs and disappointed users. In less than two years, Humane’s pin was withdrawn from the market, and the company sold its patents. Jony Ive publicly called this and similar attempts “very bad products"with"lack of fresh thinking". As Ive's team says, their advantage now is that they are not burdened by the existing "legacy" and can rethink the area.
Critics, however, warn that Altman and Ive have a steep road ahead of them.The product will have to be truly stunning if it is to distract people from today's screen-based devices,” says Martha Bennett, an analyst at Forrester Research. Consumers have become incredibly attached to their phones over the past fifteen years – they have become an extension of ourselves and a window into the digital world. Convincing them that they need another one with them is new type of device, it won't be easy. Especially since tech giants (from Meta to Google) have already tried with physical AI in the form of home assistants, robots or smart glasses, but these products have not yet achieved mass penetration. For example, Meta offers Ray-Ban glasses with a built-in camera and assistant, but for now they remain more of a curiosity than a necessity. Apple is intensively developing its Vision Pro (an augmented reality device), but even there the question remains whether it will really change the way of life outside the circle of enthusiasts. The most anticipated device after the iPhone – so what is it?!
So Altman and Ive are aiming high: they want to create something that will be both useful and charming, to attract users like the first iPhone did. Analysts emphasize that the new hardware actually has to solve practical problems or offer news, which existing products do not – the mere glitter of AI as a buzzword will not be enough. At the same time, the duo and their team undoubtedly have an exceptional pedigree and resources. “Altman and Ive are trustworthy, given the products they have already put through, but they have set an ambitious goal,” writes the Guardian. OpenAI makes no secret of its desire to become “next Apple or Google” at the intersection of AI and hardware. Benedict Evans, a renowned technology analyst, describes the situation vividly: “Sam [Altman] is trying to build a plane while flying,"because OpenAI is developing several fronts at the same time - software superintelligence and now a device with it."
My conclusion: on the verge of a revolution – definitely
Partnership between OpenAI and Jony Ive combines a cutting-edge AI platform and cutting-edge design in a project that ambitiously aims for the next big technological breakthrough. Officially confirmed information reveals that they are preparing a new type of hardware device, which will complement existing phones and computers as a personal AI companion. The team behind the project – from Sam Altman to Jony Ive and his Apple veterans – is raising expectations to a level comparable to the historic iPhone launches, with declarations of “the best creation ever” and “revolutionary potential”. On the one hand, this is raising extraordinary optimism, as it brings together leading minds in artificial intelligence and design with a vision of devices that could transform our everyday lives. On the other hand, the high-flying predictions and parallels to legendary launches (and warnings from past failed hype projects like the Segway) mean that it will time judge their promises. The first reality check awaits us in 2026, when Altman and Ive reveal the fruits of their labor to the world. That's when we'll find out if we're really in for a “crazy, ambitious project, worth the wait” – or will we tech enthusiasts stick to a more down-to-earth response: “Is that it?“. The most anticipated device after the iPhone.
