A few months ago, OpenAI teamed up with Jony Ive to build the next generation of AI-powered hardware, under the brand io.
Now, according to The Information, they are working with the same supply chain partners that Apple relies on for its own products. Here are the details.
OpenAI and Jony Ive resort to Apple suppliers for io
According to the report, io has already signed with a major Apple supplier and is courting a second:
“Luxshare, a major assembler of iPhones and AirPods in China, has already secured a contract to assemble at least one of OpenAI’s devices, according to multiple people with direct knowledge of the matter. OpenAI has also approached Goertek, which assembles AirPods, HomePods and Apple Watches, to supply components such as speaker modules for OpenAI’s future products, the people said.”
The report also offers a few previously unreported (but widely speculated) details about what exactly OpenAI and Jony Ive intend to release under the brand io.
Up until now, io had mentioned only that their plans involved wearables in some capacity, with very little specific details about which (or how many) products they planned to release.
According to the report:
“One of the products OpenAI has talked to suppliers about making resembles a smart speaker without a display, the people said. OpenAI has also considered building glasses, a digital voice recorder and a wearable pin, and is targeting late 2026 or early 2027 for the release of its first devices, one of the people said.”
More money, less bureaucracy, familiar faces
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