OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has offered new hints about the company’s upcoming AI hardware device, created in collaboration with legendary Apple designer Jony Ive. Speaking at Emerson Collective’s 9th annual Demo Day in San Francisco, Altman said people’s first reaction to the device will likely be: “That’s it? It’s so simple.”
The product, still a prototype, is rumored to be screenless and pocket-sized, though OpenAI has not revealed concrete details. Earlier this year, the company acquired Ive’s design firm, io, signaling its ambition to build a mass-market AI gadget.
While specifics remain tightly guarded, Altman and Ive focused heavily on describing the “vibe” of the device. Altman compared its significance to the iPhone, calling Apple’s smartphone the “crowning achievement of consumer products” and noting that his life feels divided into “before the iPhone” and “after.”
Yet he criticized modern tech for overwhelming users with constant distractions. He likened current phones and apps to navigating Times Square, full of flashing lights, noise, and interruptions that pull attention in every direction.
In contrast, Altman said the AI device should feel like “sitting in the most beautiful cabin by a lake in the mountains,” offering peace, calm, and focus. The device is expected to intelligently filter information, act autonomously on the user’s behalf, and understand the right moments to surface updates or requests.
Related: OpenAI DevDay 2025: What to Expect from Sam Altman, Jony Ive, and the Company’s Biggest Event Yet
Altman emphasized that users should trust the device over time, with the AI developing a deep contextual awareness of their lives.
Ive echoed the theme of simplicity, saying he loves products that appear almost “naive” in how minimal they seem, yet remain highly sophisticated underneath. He wants the device to be something people use “without thought,” like a natural extension of themselves.
Ive confirmed the hardware should be available within two years.
