We still don’t know what OpenAI’s mysterious hardware device is, but we do have a good idea of when we’ll get it.
The company has revealed that the product it is developing with legendary Apple designer Jony Ive is not scheduled to ship until February 2027.
The admission was made in a court filing Monday by OpenAI amid a dispute with startup Iyo, which sued OpenAI last year over its “io” trademark.
The previously known release schedule for the OpenAI device, shared by the company’s chief global affairs officer at Davos last month, was for the product to be announced in late 2026.
Monday’s filing included a sworn statement from OpenAI vice president and general manager Peter Wellinder, who said the company does not expect “the first hardware device to ship to customers before the end of February 2027.”
It’s unclear whether OpenAI plans to announce new devices later this year before shipping in 2027. An OpenAI spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
OpenAI announced last year that it would acquire Ive’s hardware company, IO Products, in a deal worth nearly $6.5 billion.
Last June, after Iyo sued OpenAI, a court issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting OpenAI from using the “io” trademark. OpenAI has since removed references to its partnership with Ive from its website and promotional videos.
In a Monday filing, OpenAI’s lawyers said the company no longer plans to use the “io” name for its products. “We have re-evaluated the branding of our upcoming hardware products in light of OpenAI’s existing branding,” the company wrote in the filing, adding that the name will not be used for marketing or “sales of artificial intelligence-enabled hardware products.”
Therefore, the lawyers argued, the court’s scheduled April 2026 preliminary injunction hearing would be “unnecessary and impractical.”
Wired previously reported on elements of Monday’s court filing.
The secrecy surrounding Ive and OpenAI’s first hardware product has led to much speculation, including whether it will be earphones, a pen, glasses, or something else.
A video appeared over the weekend teasing the new device, but OpenAI claimed it was “totally fake.” A now-deleted Reddit post claimed the video was a shelved ad that poked fun at actor Alexander Skarsgård’s earphones.
Have something to share? To contact this reporter via email, please specify the following address: hlangley@businessinsider.com Or text us at 628-228-1836. Use a personal email address and non-work device. Here’s a guide to sharing your information securely.
