It has been said that OpenAI will make a phone with AI agents to replace apps

like OpenAI Facing a major legal threat from Elon Musk over its future, the company behind ChatGPT is said to be moving forward with its expanded hardware ambitions.

The company was previously linked to a potential release of AI-powered earbuds later this year or early 2027, but is now said to be working on a smartphone in partnership with component makers MediaTek, Qualcomm and Luxshare. Industry Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo Reported on X Over the weekend, MediaTek and Qualcomm will help design a smartphone chip for the device, while Luxshare will serve as a joint design and manufacturing partner.

Most premium Android phones coming out in 2026 will use either Qualcomm hardware Snapdragon 8 Elite Generation 5 Or MediaTek Dimension 9500 So it makes sense for OpenAI to turn to the companies that make the processors for the most high-end phones released each year.

For many years, both MediaTek and Qualcomm have envisioned AI agents The future of how people use their phones-Handle tasks across multiple applications for you. AI agents will be at the heart of OpenAI’s smartphone, effectively eliminating the need for separate apps, Kuo said.

“Users aren’t trying to use a pile of apps,” Ko said. “They are trying to get things done and meet needs through the phone. This is fundamentally changing the way people think about smartphones.”

OpenAI’s hardware ambitions included a high-profile partnership with former Apple designer Jony Ive. One recent rumor was that the devices could include One is worn in the earbut OpenAI could have up to five different devices ready by the end of 2028.

Meanwhile, OpenAI is said to be trying to cut back on so-called “side quests.” Canceled his Sora video generator And put a ChatGPT “adult mode” planned During a break for A A more productivity-focused “super app.” It is said to be built around the Codex coding tool.

Read also: ChatGPT Images 2: Why OpenAI built a new image model after killing Sora

Kuo reported that specifications and suppliers for the rumored smartphone are expected to be finalized by the end of the year or the first quarter of 2027, and production is expected to take place in 2028.

OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, the parent company of CNET, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging that it infringed Ziff Davis’s copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)