An AI iPhone? Sam Altman and Jony Ive have joined hands, will they build something that Apple so far hasn't

India Today

22-05-2025

It is happening. Sam [Altman] and Jony [Ive] are building the AI iPhone Apple didn't. For those unaware, Jony is the OG designer of some of the most iconic Apple products to have ever graced the face of the Earth, from the now ubiquitous iPhone to iPod and iPad. He left Apple in 2019 to build his own design company called LoveFrom and has since been involved in some high-profile - but mostly non-tech related - projects such as the limited-edition Linn Sondek LP12 turntable. His company also designed the coronation emblem for King Charles III. Sam heads OpenAI, the Microsoft-backed AI behemoth behind the viral chatbot ChatGPT.advertisementJony co-founded io, another startup specifically to make AI hardware, in 2023 even as LoveFrom continues to do its own thing including - but not limited to - overseeing design at the new entity. On May 22, 2025, OpenAI announced that it is buying io for USD $6.5 billion (roughly Rs 55,692 crore). The ChatGPT-maker reportedly acquired a 23 percent stake in the company last year, and it is paying the remainder amount (about USD $5 billion) to fully acquire it now. It is learnt that Jony and LoveFrom will remain independent but take over the full design control for all OpenAI.So, what's cooking? The duo has been working on an unnamed and unspecified AI device for two years. The project isn't a secret, both Jony and Sam, have publicly acknowledged it. But the specifics of this new device are not known. Like, for instance, we don't know what it is or what it looks like or what it can do. OpenAI confirmed it is working on a family of devices in a blog post announcing the acquisition, but fell short of revealing product details.advertisement
All the evidence suggests that the maiden device is not a phone in the conventional sense, but a companion piece that you – presumably – carry along with it. Jony has hinted in the past that he is not particularly fond of screens, so there is a possibility the device might not have it – what remains to be seen is, to what extent. Current solutions range from having no screens at all, like the Humane AI Pin, to giving some screen real estate like the Rabbit R1 – both failed miserably, though not just on account of display capabilities. The possibilities range from anything to everything for io and OpenAI, but it is certain that the acquisition should expedite things from the drawing board to the shipping floor.The excitement is palpable. The conversations have started to pick up steam. Some of it – like is often the case – has trickled and made its way online. Based on multiple reports, it seems OpenAI is very pumped up about the merger, with Sam reportedly calling it 'the chance to do the biggest thing we've ever done as a company here.' He is not wrong if he has said this. OpenAI is still a software company. It doesn't do hardware at all. That is a problem. Because it doesn't do its own hardware, it must rely on other rival companies to distribute its software. While that is okay, too, it is not okay in the long run and especially not if you're eying to become a USD $1 trillion company.advertisementThe late great Steve Jobs used to say, companies that want to make good software should make their own hardware. There is obviously the monetary aspect to that, but even more importantly, it cuts off any outside noise or distraction and makes you focus on the bigger goal, which is to leave a long-lasting impression on the customer and, invariably, the world. That is what Apple did, and it is still guided by some of the same principles. But despite its deep roots and engineering might, it has been unable to upend this new phenomenon called AI so far.OpenAI can do it because it has already conquered the software front (reports indicate that ChatGPT has around 400-800 million weekly active users as of May 2025) and, every day, it keeps covering more ground. With former Apple design guru Jony Ive's backing and support, things are about to get very interesting. What they come up with might not be an iPhone 2.0 but if done right, it could be the modern-day iPhone moment that fans and pundits have been waiting for. The first device in the 'family' is expected to be rolled out sometime by late 2026. We'll see.