OpenAI may be developing a "ChatGPT phone" that aims to replace traditional applications with advanced AI agents, according to a new report from industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Kuo's note on X suggests that the AI company is collaborating with MediaTek, Qualcomm, and Luxshare on this ambitious project.
Ming-Chi Kuo, known for his accurate reporting on Apple's hardware plans, indicates that OpenAI would work with MediaTek and Qualcomm to develop the smartphone chip, with Luxshare serving as a co-design and manufacturing partner. This initiative follows OpenAI's confirmation last year of a deal with Broadcom to develop custom AI-accelerator technology.
Kuo's post highlights that the device could fundamentally shift away from traditional apps, allowing AI agents to handle tasks directly for the user. He argues that by controlling the full hardware and software setup of its own smartphone, OpenAI could integrate AI more deeply across features without the constraints imposed by platforms like Apple and Google, which currently dictate app availability and system access levels.
Furthermore, with ChatGPT approaching one billion weekly users, a widely adopted consumer device would significantly bolster OpenAI's efforts to expand its reach. Kuo's report suggests that OpenAI believes smartphone design offers a unique opportunity to revolutionize how users interact with portable devices. For instance, he explains that integrating an AI assistant directly with a custom chip from the same company could enable a paradigm shift, redesigning software as a continuous "stream of behavior" rather than relying on discrete apps, with a single chatbot managing all functionalities.
Kuo adds that OpenAI's phone would be engineered to constantly interpret user context and adjust its responses and actions in real time. By controlling the device itself, rather than merely providing an app, OpenAI could potentially gain more detailed insights into user behavior than it would through software solutions alone.
The analyst's report also notes that OpenAI is expected to leverage a combination of small on-device models and cloud models to efficiently handle diverse requests and tasks. Kuo, who works at TF International Securities, emphasized that for such a device to continuously understand user context, "power consumption, memory hierarchy management, and basic small-model execution will be key processor design considerations."
Kuo forecasts that OpenAI aims to begin mass production of this smartphone in 2028. The specifications and component suppliers are anticipated to be finalized by the end of 2026 or the first quarter of 2027. This aligns with a prior statement from OpenAI Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane, who confirmed that the company is on track to announce its first hardware product in the second half of 2026, though specific details about the product were not disclosed at the time.