OpenAI Confirms First Consumer Hardware Device for H2 2026, Likely AI-Powered Earbuds

Summary

OpenAI Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane confirmed at an Axios-hosted panel at Davos on January 21, 2026, that OpenAI is on track to ship its first consumer hardware device in the second half of 2026. The device is expected to be a pair of AI-powered earbuds, developed in collaboration with former Apple design head Jony Ive, whose startup io was acquired by OpenAI for $6.5 billion in 2025. The earbuds, reported to feature a behind-the-ear design with pill-shaped modules and an egg-shaped