Sam Altman-led OpenAI is working with ex-Apple designer Jony Ive on a mysterious screenless audio product. Rumoured to launch sometime later this year, a previous report hinted that it could be a pen-style device that can transcribe handwritten notes directly to ChatGPT.
However, a new leak suggests OpenAI’s upcoming product could be a pair of earbuds that directly compete with Apple AirPods. The news comes from a post on X by the known tipster Smart Pikachu, who claims that the OpenAI x Jony Ive audio product will have a “unique, unseen before” design.
Codenamed “Sweetpea”, the earbuds could be complemented by a main device that looks like an eggstone made of metal. The tipster claims that the ChatGPT-powered audio-only product may be powered by a “2nm smartphone style chip” made by Samsung under its Exynos brand.
OpenAI is also said to be customising the chip to allow the device to “replace iPhone actions by commanding Siri.” As can be seen in the image below, the egg-shaped device is speculated to house two removeable pill shaped devices with a ceramic build and pack a Li-ion cell, like wireless earbuds.
OpenAI’s earbuds case could be egg-shaped. (Image Credit: Smart Pikachu/X)
Building on previous rumours, the tipster also says that the OpenAI x Jony Ive hardware would be manufactured by Foxconn, which is reportedly told to prepare for a total of five devices by the end of 2028.
Citing “many sources” familiar with the matter, it looks like the ChatGPT-powered earbuds are at the “front line” of Jony Ive’s team. OpenAI’s first product could launch sometime in September with a volume projection of somewhere between 40 million and 50 million in the first year.
The tipster also touched on the bill of materials (BOM), the price of the parts that make up an electronics device, saying that the BOM will be “very high” as the material and components used to make the device will be closer to those of a phone but offer more functionality.
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Earlier this month, a report hinted that OpenAI is focusing on improving its audio-based AI models. ChatGPT’s audio capabilities are good, but the large language model that powers the AI chatbot’s text replies is different from the one that powers the voice models.
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