- Ive and Altman announced their company, io, was purchased by OpenAI yesterday
- The two entrepreneurs are working on creating the next generation of AI hardware
- A new report claims the device will look like an iPod Shuffle and can be worn around your neck, like a necklace
Jony Ive and Sam Altman just announced an AI device made by their company, io, is in the works. Now we’ve got even more info about the mysterious product, and it’s rumored to look like an iPod Shuffle.
According to industry insider and renowned leaker Ming-Chi-Kuo, the current OpenAI ChatGPT hardware prototype “is slightly larger than the AI Pin, with a form factor as compact and elegant as an iPod Shuffle.”
Kuo revealed multiple new insights into the product on X, detailing that io’s product is expected to enter mass production at the start of 2027.
Kuo says while the design and specifications may change before the device enters mass production, it’s expected to “have cameras and microphones for environmental detection, with no display functionality.”
Not only is the device expected to look like an iPod Shuffle that can be worn around your neck, but it is also “expected to connect to smartphones and PCs, utilizing their computing and display capabilities.”
This information gives us a much deeper insight into what the io product actually is, following OpenAI’s $6.5 billion acquisition of the company.
In the announcement video, Ive, famous for designing the first iPhone, and Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, talked for nine-minutes in a café without really giving information on what the product is, other than it’s “an extraordinary moment”, and that whatever the pair are working on is going to completely revolutionize the way we interact with artificial intelligence.
My industry research indicates the following regarding the new AI hardware device from Jony Ive’s collaboration with OpenAI:1. Mass production is expected to start in 2027.2. Assembly and shipping will occur outside China to reduce geopolitical risks, with Vietnam currently the… pic.twitter.com/5IELYEjNyVMay 22, 2025
So… It’s basically an AI Pin
After reading Kuo’s report, it’s now clearer than ever that this upcoming product is essentially going to be a better version of the Humane AI Pin. Essentially, it’s ChatGPT in a small product you can throw in your pocket or wear around your neck.
While this gives us further indication into what to expect, there’s still a long time before io’s first product enters mass production and that could mean major changes over the next year.
Kuo says, “AI integrated into real-world applications, often termed “physical AI,” is widely recognized as the next critical trend”, and while we may not understand the necessity for these products yet, in two years time everyone might be interacting with ChatGPT and other AI models in a whole new way.
