OpenAI’s rumoured ‘Sweetpea’ device could take on AirPods with always-on AI

Speculation around OpenAI’s first consumer hardware product has intensified after a new leak suggested the company may be preparing an AI-powered alternative to Apple’s AirPods.

According to a post by tipster Smart Pikachu on X, OpenAI’s upcoming device, internally codenamed “Sweetpea,” is being positioned as an always-on, ear-worn AI companion rather than a traditional pair of wireless earbuds. The leak claims that manufacturing partner Foxconn has been asked to prepare several prototype devices by the fourth quarter of 2028, including variants that resemble a home hub and a pen-style product.

The same post says Sweetpea has moved to the top of OpenAI’s hardware roadmap, reportedly because of the involvement of former Apple design chief Jony Ive, who is leading the industrial design of the product. The device is said to be targeting a September 2028 launch window, with ambitious production estimates of 40 to 50 million units.

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Design and technical details remain unconfirmed, but the leak describes Sweetpea as having an unusual “egg stone” form factor, a small, smooth object intended to be carried or worn easily. It is also said to run on a cutting-edge 2-nanometre mobile-class processor, possibly sourced from Samsung’s Exynos lineup, alongside a custom chip designed to handle AI-specific tasks. One of its intended roles, according to the leak, is to act as a voice-first interface that could carry out tasks normally handled on a smartphone.

Earlier reporting has hinted at a similar vision. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told staff the company was working on a compact AI device that would fit in a pocket and operate as a “third device”, complementing a smartphone rather than replacing it. Bloomberg, meanwhile, has suggested that one of OpenAI’s concepts involves a pen-like device equipped with cameras and microphones that continuously sense a user’s environment.

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OpenAI has not confirmed any of the leaked specifications, but both Altman and Ive have publicly acknowledged that multiple hardware products are in development. In a conversation last year, Altman said early prototypes already exist and described the experience of using them as “jaw-dropping”. Ive, for his part, has spoken about creating products that combine advanced technology with an approachable, almost effortless design.

If the Sweetpea leak proves accurate, OpenAI’s first major hardware launch could put it in direct competition with Apple in the fast-growing category of wearable and ambient AI devices, a space that could redefine how people interact with technology beyond the smartphone