OpenAI reportedly developing its own smartphone chips with MediaTek and Qualcomm

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, OpenAI is working with MediaTek and Qualcomm on custom smartphone processors, with Luxshare as the exclusive partner for system design and manufacturing. Mass production is planned for 2028, with specifications and suppliers expected to be finalized by late 2026 or early 2027. Kuo says these details are based on his own supply chain research.

Kuo interprets the move as a sign that OpenAI is building an "AI agent phone" - a device focused on completing tasks rather than running traditional apps. In his view, OpenAI needs full control over both the operating system and the hardware to pull this off. Simple tasks could run locally on the device, while more complex ones would be handled in the cloud. Kuo also floats the idea that OpenAI could bundle subscriptions with the hardware as a business model.

That said, the chip could also end up in OpenAI's other hardware projects, which the company is developing with Jony Ive.