OpenAI Reportedly Developing ChatGPT Phone Without Apps

OpenAI may be developing a smartphone powered by ChatGPT that replaces traditional apps with AI agents, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. The device would be built in collaboration with MediaTek, Qualcomm, and Luxshare, featuring a custom chip designed with these partners. Kuo, from TF International Securities, posted on X that the phone would move away from app-based interfaces, instead using AI to handle tasks directly. By controlling both hardware and software, OpenAI could integrate AI more deeply and gain detailed user behavior data. The phone would use a mix of on-device and cloud models. Kuo expects mass production in 2028, with specifications finalized by late 2026 or early 2027. This follows OpenAI's confirmation of a deal with Broadcom for AI-accelerator technology and a statement by Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane that the company's first hardware product will be announced in the second half of 2026. Earlier reports suggested that device could be earbuds codenamed "Sweet Pea." ChatGPT currently has nearly one billion weekly users.