OpenAI’s AI Phone May Arrive Sooner Than Expected

It’s no secret that OpenAI is working with industry leaders to develop an AI smartphone. While the launch was previously expected around 2028, a fresh report suggests the timeline could be moving up. This shows the company’s eagerness to jump into the smartphone space, particularly as the AI agent trend heats up. 

OpenAI eyes 2027 production for its first AI phone

According to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, OpenAI appears to have sped up development of its first AI phone. The company could kick off mass production as early as the first half of 2027. An earlier report suggested a slower timeline, with key decisions expected around late 2026 or early 2027 and mass production in 2028.

If the new timeline pans out, OpenAI’s AI phone should launch as early as late 2027. There are several possible reasons behind this accelerated development. For example, as competition in the AI smartphone space continues to grow, stepping in earlier could help the company secure a stronger position. That said, it could face enough competition from major players like Apple and Samsung.

Furthermore, OpenAI is reportedly preparing for an IPO, likely as early as late 2026 or 2027, and its smartphone project could increase market appeal.

Kuo also says the OpenAI phone may feature a customized version of MediaTek’s Dimensity 9600 SoC. TSMC may manufacture the chip using its N2P process in the second half of 2026. The chip could adopt a dual NPU (Neural Processing Unit) architecture to run heavy AI tasks efficiently. A powerful ISP (Image Signal Processor) will offer better real-world visual perception.

In addition, the phone may come with next-gen LPDDR6 RAM and UFS 5.0 to reduce memory bottlenecks. It may employ pKVM (protected Kernel-based Virtual Machine) and inline hashing for security. OpenAI is reportedly targeting shipments of around 30 million units (2027 and 2028 combined).

We’ll let you know if new developments come to light in the coming months. Meanwhile, you can check out the Galaxy S26 series, Samsung’s latest advanced AI smartphone lineup.