OpenAI has made a significant move into consumer hardware by acquiring a design startup founded by the renowned iPhone designer. This $6.5 billion deal marks OpenAI’s largest acquisition and signals its ambition to create a new family of devices centered around artificial intelligence.
Jony Uve, the iPhone designer, famous for shaping some of Apple’s most iconic products, will take on major design and creative roles within OpenAI and the acquired startup. The design collective will continue to operate independently but collaborate closely with OpenAI’s research, engineering, and product teams based in San Francisco.
OpenAI’s CEO highlighted the company’s vision to “completely redefine what it means to interact with a computer,” emphasising a shift toward devices that go beyond traditional screens by leveraging generative AI technologies.
Although specific products have not yet been revealed, reports suggest the collaboration aims to develop AI-powered hardware such as headphones or camera-enabled devices designed to be less socially disruptive than current smartphones. The design team, including former Apple colleagues, has already created prototypes that seek to inspire and empower users in novel ways.
The iPhone designer remarked in a video released by OpenAI that “the products that we’re using to deliver and connect us to unimaginable technology, they’re decades old,” underscoring the need for innovation in hardware design.
OpenAI’s hardware ambitions come at a time when major tech companies like Apple, Meta, and Google are investing heavily in AI-driven devices. The announcement caused Apple’s stock to drop more than 2%, reflecting market sensitivity to this new competitive threat.
Ive said in an official statement: “I have a growing sense that everything I have learned over the last 30 years has led me to this moment.
“While I am both anxious and excited about the responsibility of the substantial work ahead, I am so grateful for the opportunity to be part of such an important collaboration.
“The values and vision of Sam and the teams at OpenAI and io are a rare inspiration.”
The partnership between OpenAI and the iPhone designer’s startup has been developing quietly over the past two years. The companies plan to unveil their work publicly next year, aiming to fundamentally transform human-computer interaction.
