OpenAI Patent Leak Reveals Its First Gadget May Be AI Earbuds, Not Smartphone-Like Wearable

Fans are curious to see whether OpenAI can build an actually useful, intuitive AI gadget, one that could meaningfully complement a smartphone, when others have failed.

• OpenAI’s first AI device could be AI-powered earbuds, with a potential launch this year.
• The company has delayed its mainstay smartphone-like AI device due to the current surge in memory chip prices.
• OpenAI acquired the design startup of Apple’s former chief designer, Jony Ive, last year to work on the AI device(s).

As anticipation for OpenAI’s consumer gadget grows, a new leak suggests it could be an AI-powered audio wearable resembling wireless earbuds and could be released as early as this year.

The AI heavyweight has shared few specifics about the forthcoming device, saying only that it will be intuitive in use and is slated to ship to customers next year. The project has been receiving significant attention since OpenAI roped in Apple’s chief designer, Jony Ive, last year.

Smart Pikachu, a self-proclaimed Chinese tech blogger whose leaks about Apple have been featured in several tech publications, flagged an OpenAI patent filing in China that recently became public. 

It indicates that OpenAI’s consumer hardware product, internally referred to as “Sweetpea,” will likely be sold under the consumer name “Dime.” Because the patent filing is now public, the device itself may be revealed soon, as companies typically publish patents shortly before launching or showcasing products.

However, OpenAI appears to be shelving a more ambitious plan. Its original idea to produce a more advanced, smartphone-like wearable device with built-in computing has been kept on hold, and the company plans to ship a simple headphone-only device first.

The delay is due to a shortage of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), which has driven up costs, according to the tipster. That memory was required to support a cutting-edge 2nm chip, which made the overall manufacturing cost (BOM) too high.

“Audio only version for 2026 and advanced SKU later when component cost improve(s),” Smart Pikachu wrote. 

The tipster previously reported that OpenAI was developing not one but three “projects” (which could mean three separate devices or three components for a single device). One of the projects is a “pen,” and the other a "to-go" audio device.

Although buzz around it is building, OpenAI’s device is likely to have only a modest impact on revenue, at least initially, and its broader devices strategy faces steep challenges. 

Wearable AI devices as a category have struggled to gain consumer traction, with early efforts such as the Humane Pin and the Limitless Pendant largely fizzling out.

“Investors. It's all about encouraging the investors,” said a user on Reddit, where the discussion has picked up.

OpenAI is widely reported to be preparing for an initial public offering (IPO) this year, at a potential valuation of $1 trillion. The company is also working on a pre-IPO $100 billion private funding round and is in talks with Nvidia, SoftBank, and Amazon, among others.

With a planned offering from SpaceX, investors expect 2026 to be a bumper year for IPOs. 

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