Zayed Rehman·

OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup ‘io’ To Build Next-Gen AI Devices

OpenAI is officially acquiring io, the hardware startup co-founded by legendary Apple designer Jony Ive, as part of a bold move into AI-powered consumer devices.

The deal, reportedly worth $6.5 billion, marks OpenAI’s largest acquisition yet and is expected to close this summer, pending regulatory approval.

Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have been working together behind the scenes for the past two years, aiming to design a new class of AI-first hardware. In a video released by OpenAI, Ive called the project the culmination of his 30-year design journey, saying, “What we’ve been working on has completely captured our imagination.” Altman, who has been testing an early prototype, added, “I think it is the coolest piece of technology the world will have ever seen.”

While details are still scarce, the device is rumored to be a “screenless smartphone,” something that reimagines how we interact with computers altogether. Similar concepts like the Humane Ai Pin and Rabbit R1 haven’t caught on, but with Ive leading design and OpenAI’s AI backbone, expectations are high.

The io team includes top-tier design talent from Apple, like Tang Tan, Scott Cannon, and Evans Hankey, all of whom will join OpenAI. Ive’s design firm LoveFrom will now lead all design efforts at OpenAI.

Altman hinted at the broader ambition behind the project: “We have the opportunity here to completely reimagine what it means to use a computer.” Ive added, “We are literally on the brink of a new generation of technology that can make us our better selves.”

The first product from this collaboration is expected in 2026. Until then, it’s clear OpenAI is gearing up to challenge legacy tech products like the iPhone even, with a whole new kind of device.

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