[News] OpenAI Reportedly Partners with Apple Supplier Luxshare for AI Hardware, Launch Slated for 2026–2027

According to Chinese media outlet Mydrivers, citing The Information, OpenAI has reportedly reached a strategic partnership with Chinese Apple device assembler Luxshare to jointly develop a groundbreaking consumer AI device.

At the same time, Luxshare may not be the only Apple supplier involved. Goertek, which also manufactures components for AirPods, HomePods, and Apple Watch, has reportedly been invited to provide the speaker module for OpenAI’s first consumer hardware product, as the report notes.

Looking at the product itself, sources cited by the report indicate that OpenAI’s first AI device remains in the prototype stage. It is reportedly planned as a pocket-sized device with an advanced context-aware system, deeply integrated with its large language model. The form factor is still uncertain—possibly glasses, a wearable pin, or a recorder. The first batch is expected to launch in late 2026 or early 2027, as indicated by the report.

If realized, such a device could reshape the competitive landscape. As Reuters notes, OpenAI’s development of the product could encroach on the markets of Apple and other consumer electronics makers by offering an alternative way for users to interact with AI, challenging the dominance of smartphones and conventional hardware.

Luxshare: From Apple Supplier to AI and AR

Regarding its rumored choice of Luxshare as a partner, as highlighted by 36Kr, the company is a core Apple supplier with extensive expertise in precision manufacturing. It has strong experience assembling wearables such as AirPods and Apple Watch, enabling it to leverage mature supply chain management and large-scale production to quickly introduce new AI products with high yields.

36kr further notes that Luxshare’s Wuxi factory has expanded AR glasses capacity to 500,000 units, reaching a 98.7% assembly yield rate through fully automated lines. Drawing on technical experience from Meta Quest 3, Luxshare has also joined the supply chain for Meta’s next-generation consumer AR glasses, Celeste, handling sensor integration and selected optical components, with mass shipments expected to begin in Q4 2025.

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(Photo credit: OpenAI)