Earlier this week, rumours suggested that OpenAI is targeting its own smartphone hardware built around ChatGPT. The move makes sense for the company. Having a device where it controls all the variables is an attractive proposition (just ask Apple).
It makes less sense for end-users, who will require something novel to jump ship from Apple, Samsung, and friends to something OpenAI has made. But, while the initial report was light on technical details, more of those have since surfaced.
OpenAI the gates
【產業調查更新】OpenAI 可能正加速首款 AI agent 手機開發，目標最快於 1H27 量產，考量原因或包括有利年底 IPO 敘事、AI agent 手機競爭加速等。目前聯發科更有可能獨家取得處理器訂單，該機預計採用基於天璣 9600 的客製版本，並於 2H26 由台積電 N2P 生產。ISP… https://t.co/EYEtbWf16X
— 郭明錤｜Ming-Chi Kuo (@mingchikuo) May 5, 2026
The hardware update comes from the same place as the initial speculation — analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The target launch for the device is narrowed a little, down to the first half of 2027. That seems a little optimistic to us, but Sam Alman’s company isn’t likely to be moving slowly either.
The processor could be a custom version of MediaTek’s Dimensity 9600, a Snapdragon competitor that should launch later this year. It’s being chosen for its NPU, among other reasons. Affordability is likely one of these.
The still rumoured device should use LPDDR6 RAM, though quantities for the gadget aren’t known. There’s plenty of optimism somewhere, though. Kuo gives a projection of 30 million devices sold between 2027 and 2028, a best-case number that assumes everything goes as planned.
