OpenAI could launch earbuds with an ‘unseen before’ design later this year

OpenAI is a well-known name in the AI space, offering products like ChatGPT, Sora, Codex, and so on. While the company specializes in software, an upcoming project could see it enter the hardware market. And this project aims to compete directly with one of Apple’s most popular devices.

According to tipster Smart Pikachu on X (formerly Twitter), OpenAI is working on an audio product to “replace” Apple’s AirPods. Codenamed “Sweetpea,” these earbuds are said to feature a “unique, unseen before” design, with the main device “to be metal and resembling [the] shape of [an] eggstone.” Inside that eggstone are two pill-shaped devices that will rest behind your ear, as seen in the picture below.

The tipster goes on to claim that OpenAI is aiming to give the earbuds a “2nm smartphone-style chip (Exynos most favored).” It’s also mentioned that a custom chip has been developed to “replace iPhone actions by commanding Siri.”

The leaker adds that the bill of materials (BOM) could be very high, possibly matching the BOM of a smartphone. So it seems that these earbuds won’t be cheap. Finally, the tipster says that OpenAI is targeting a September release date, with a “volume projection [of] 40-50mm first year.”

These earbuds are reportedly one of the five hardware products OpenAI is developing. According to the leak, the company has tasked Foxconn, an electronics contract manufacturer, with getting those five devices prepared by Q4 2028. The earbuds are said to be at the front of the line due to the priority of Jony Ive’s team. It’s unknown what these other devices are, but the leak suggests that “a home style device and pen are still considered.”