For more than a decade, smartphones have become a central element of our digital lives. Every notification, swipe, and tap has reinforced the idea that glass screens are the gateway to technology. But as AI systems become more conversational and context-aware, that assumption may start to change.
Many AI researchers argue that today’s interfaces feel like relics from the early computer era, and OpenAI appears to agree. It calls for a new interface.
According to a recent report by The Information, the AI company is developing a next-generation audio model alongside a dedicated AI device built primarily for voice interaction. Together, these efforts suggest OpenAI is rethinking how humans naturally interact with AI in everyday life.
What once seemed abstract is begening taking physical form. At CES 2026, several gadgets offered an early glimpse of AI emerging as the primary interface for consumer electronics.
OpenAI’s Audio Push Takes Shape
Against this backdrop, OpenAI’s hardware ambitions are coming into focus.
The company’s upcoming audio model, expected in early 2026, is said to deliver more human-like speech, manage interruptions smoothly, and engage in overlapping dialogue capabilities that remain out of reach for most current systems.
The initiative reportedly brings together multiple engineering, product, and research groups under a single audio-focused effort. The work is said to be overseen by Kundan Kumar, a former researcher at AI startup Character.AI.
Alongside the audio model, new details have emerged about OpenAI’s hardware plans. According to a post on X by an industry tipster who goes by the name Smart Pikachu, the project’s internal codename is “Gumdrop.”
The device is said to take the shape of a pen and is intended to serve as a third core device alongside smartphones and laptops. OpenAI reportedly envisions it as a simpler, more natural way to interact with AI in daily life, whether for taking notes, dictating ideas, or querying ChatGPT.
This development follows OpenAI’s acquisition of io, an AI hardware startup co-founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive. The all-stock transaction announced in May 2025, valued the company at around $6.5 billion.
Smart Pikachu said the device was initially assigned to Luxshare, but the manufacturing partner is now expected to change following a dispute over production location. OpenAI reportedly does not want the device manufactured in China. Vietnam is emerging as the primary alternative, while the Foxconn facility in the United States is another option.
OpenAI already has a partnership with Foxconn to manufacture AI infrastructure hardware, announced on November 20.
The supply chain update suggests that three hardware concepts are currently under vendor review. One is a pen-like device, another is a portable audio device intended for use on the go, and a third concept that remains undisclosed.
At Emerson Collective’s ninth annual Demo Day in San Francisco, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman criticised existing devices for being overly distracting.
He compared using current devices and apps to walking through Times Square, overwhelmed by flashing lights, bumping into people, and constant noise, which he finds unsettling. He also criticised bright notifications and social apps for illustrating where modern devices go wrong.
“I don’t think it’s making any of our lives peaceful and calm and just letting us focus on our stuff,” Altman said. In contrast, he said OpenAI’s AI device would be more like “sitting in the most beautiful cabin by a lake, enjoying the peace and calm.”
Others have also tried to move beyond screens, with mixed results. Humane attempted this shift with Humane AI Pin, a wearable that relied on voice and gestures instead of a display. The product failed to gain traction, and the company has since shut down.
Meta, however, has a strong momentum through its partnership with Ray-Ban on smart glasses that embed AI-powered voice assistance, cameras, and audio into everyday eyewear. Meta’s chief AI scientist, Yann LeCun, believes that smartphones will be obsolete in the next 10-15 years.
Ambient AI Gains Momentum
CES 2026 highlighted how large tech companies are pushing AI deeper into everyday environment. Amazon announced Alexa+ integrations across third-party devices, including Samsung TVs, which will receive built-in support later this month, a first for Amazon’s latest AI assistant on non-Amazon televisions.
Google is expanding Gemini’s presence onto Google TV, positioning it as a living-room AI assistant that helps users control the TV and receive more interactive answers.
Lenovo also unveiled its vision for ambient AI with Qira, a personal AI agent that operates across PCs, smartphones, tablets, and wearables. Positioned as a shared intelligence layer, Qira aims to help users continue tasks seamlessly across devices, offering contextual assistance rather than constant prompts.
Startups are also entering the space. Neosapien is developing AI-powered wearables, while Wispr Flow is developing voice-first interfaces designed to reduce reliance on screens and keyboards.
Will Apple and Samsung Launch New AI device?
OpenAI’s device is unlikely to replace smartphones outright. However, it could reshape how users interact with technology by reducing dependence on screens, apps, and touch-based interfaces.
If AI assistants become ambient, conversational, and always available through dedicated hardware, phone makers risk losing control over the primary interface layer that has anchored their ecosystems for more than a decade.
Phone manufacturers could lose their grip on the main interface layer, which has been the core of their ecosystems for over ten years, if AI assistants become omnipresent, conversational, and constantly accessible on specific hardware.
“I don’t think we have an easy relationship with our technology at the moment,” Ive said during a conversation with Altmana at DEv Day 2025. He added that AI presents an opportunity to address the overwhelming feeling many users feel, rather than deepen it.
Established smartphone makers are responding quickly. Samsung Electronics said it plans to significantly expand Galaxy AI features across its devices, with much of the functionality powered by Google’s Gemini models. The company expects the rollout to grow from roughly 400 million devices last year to about 800 million smartphones and tablets by 2026.
Apple is also accelerating its efforts. According to a Bloomberg report, the company is targeting a spring 2026 rollout of a more conversational Siri through iOS 26.4, with support for handling multi-step requests and intelligence powered by Gemini models.
At WWDC 2026, Apple is expected to unveil iOS 27, expanding Apple Intelligence with new developer APIs, stronger on-device models, and capabilities such as real-time understanding of surroundings.
For now, smartphones are central. But as AI moves off-screen and into voice-based devices, the question is no longer whether the interface will change, but who will control it.
The post Is OpenAI’s Gumdrop a Real Threat to Smartphones? appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.
