OpenAI’s first consumer hardware device, designed with former Apple design chief Jony Ive, will arrive later than previously planned. New court filings show the company does not expect to ship the device to customers before the end of February 2027. This timeline pushes the launch beyond earlier expectations and adds more clarity to a project that has remained largely secretive.
The delay surfaced through a trademark infringement lawsuit involving OpenAI and an audio startup. The filings also reveal that OpenAI has not yet created packaging or marketing materials for its first hardware product. That detail suggests the device is still deep in development, with no near-term public rollout.
According to a report by WIRED, the information comes from recent court documents tied to the lawsuit. The case was filed by iyO, which sued OpenAI after it acquired ‘io’, a startup founded by Jony Ive. The dispute has unintentionally exposed several details about OpenAI’s hardware plans.
OpenAI drops the “io” name
One clear outcome of the lawsuit is a naming decision. OpenAI said it will not use the name “io” or any variation of it for its AI hardware products. In the filing, Peter Welinder, OpenAI’s vice president and general manager, said the company reviewed its naming strategy and chose to move on.
He stated, “OpenAI had reviewed its product-naming strategy and decided not to use the name ‘io’ or any variation of it in connection with the naming, advertising, marketing, or sale of any artificial intelligence-enabled hardware products.” The filing does not mention a replacement name.
What the device is, and is not
While many details remain unknown, past filings rule out several ideas. The device is not an in-ear product and not a wearable. Instead, it is described as a small, screen-free device meant to sit on a desk or stay in a pocket, working alongside a phone and laptop. Earlier leaks also suggest it will be context-aware and designed to understand a user’s surroundings.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has spoken enthusiastically about the prototype. According to previous filings, he told staff it was “the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen” after testing it at home. The company has not expanded on that claim.
For now, the lawsuit continues to be the main source of insight into OpenAI’s hardware ambitions. What began as a legal dispute has turned into a rare window into a product that OpenAI otherwise keeps tightly under wraps.
