OpenAI’s First Gadget To Debut Later This Year, But We Still Don't Know What It Is

OpenAI’s First Gadget to Debut Later This Year, But We Still Don’t Know What It Is

Last updated: 2026/01/20 at 6:58 AM

News Room Published 20 January 2026

After over a year of teasing from OpenAI, we now have a firmer idea of when the brand will introduce its first gadget. However, we don’t yet know what it will be, or when it will go on sale.

According to OpenAI’s chief global affairs officer, Chris Lehane, the brand is “on track” to debut its first device before the end of 2026. Lehane’s comments were first reported by Axios from an event hosted on Jan. 19.

Lehane used the event as a teaser for OpenAI hardware, marking the first time the company has officially spoken about upcoming gadgets over the last few months.

Older teasers from Jony Ive’s development arm of OpenAI, previously known as io, said it would announce its innovations either this year or in early 2027.

In the comments, Lehane wouldn’t commit to the type of device OpenAI will announce. He also said this is the “most likely” timeline, suggesting there may be a delay if the brand’s development doesn’t go to plan.

It’s not yet clear what sort of device the brand is working on. It may be an AI-powered pin, a pair of headphones, a wearable, or something different. Other reports throughout 2025 suggested OpenAI is experimenting with multiple prototypes.

Late last year, OpenAI lost the ability to use the ‘io’ name, first used by Ive before the company was bought by the ChatGPT maker. OpenAI was sued by a Google Ventures-backed startup called iyO, saying the branding was too similar to its name.

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In December, OpenAI’s appeal was denied, meaning it could no longer use the name io for future releases.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, PCMag’s parent company, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April 2025, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.