2026 could be the year we move beyond smartphones — led by a Sam Altman and Jony Ive-designed AI device

• OpenAI is reportedly working on improving audio capabilities for ChatGPT
• Better audio capabilities will be required by its new screen-free, AI-powered hardware device
• The device, designed in conjunction with Jony Ive, will debut in the first quarter of 2026

Rumors around the Jony Ive-designed wearable AI device that OpenAI is working on have intensified, with predictions that it could be released in the first quarter of 2026 — and that OpenAI is already working to dramatically improve ChatGPT’s audio capabilities to accommodate it.

Last year, OpenAI acquired IO, Jony Ive’s hardware company, to release an Ive-designed, AI-powered hardware device in 2026.

ChatGPT already can respond to your voice using ChatGPT Voice, but a new report from The Information suggests that “a person with knowledge” inside OpenAI says the company is undertaking work right now to significantly improve its performance, as it currently lags behind text-based responses in terms of accuracy and speed.

ChatGPT Voice improvements

We already saw one major improvement to ChatGPT Voice before the holidays, when it was integrated into the main ChatGPT conversation flow rather than being accessed via a separate screen. Further improvements to core ChatGPT Voice features would, of course, be available to all ChatGPT users – not just owners of the mysterious new audio device – so reports of gains in speed and accuracy are welcome.

According to The Information’s report, “A new audio-model architecture produces responses that sound more natural and emotive and provide more accurate, in-depth answers, said the person with knowledge of the effort. The new audio model will also be able to speak at the same time as a human user, which today’s models can’t do, and will handle interruptions better, this person said.”

This is also the first report suggesting that the release date could be as soon as the first quarter of 2026. Previously, 2026 was widely expected to be the launch year, but most predictions placed it later in the year.

An AI-powered future

The nature of the AI hardware device that Ive and Altman are working on is, unsurprisingly, being kept secret until it is officially revealed. However, there has been plenty of speculation that it will be some kind of wearable device that is always listening, allowing it to provide helpful, context-based information throughout the day. One recent rumor even suggests it could take the form of an AI-powered pen.

Whatever form the device ultimately takes, one thing seems certain: it will not be a smartphone. That immediately puts it in a difficult position, given just how ubiquitous smartphones have become. Asking people to leave their phones behind and trust an audio-first device without a display to provide everything they need is a big ask.

Alternatively, if the device is designed to work alongside a smartphone, it risks running into the same problem that plagued devices such as the Rabbit R1 and the Humane AI Pin – namely, the burden of carrying two devices instead of one.

Still, whatever OpenAI has planned, the involvement of Jony Ive – Apple’s original design guru and the designer of the iPhone – gives the company its best possible chance of success. It may be that 2026 is the year we finally move beyond the smartphone and into a more ambient, AI-powered future.

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