Sources indicate that OpenAI's inaugural hardware offering is likely to be an AI - powered audio earbud, internally dubbed 'Sweetpea.' This development comes as a surprise, as it replaces the earlier speculations about a smart pen. The earbud has been crafted by the renowned design team led by the legendary Jony Ive. One of its standout features is its distinctive pebble - like design. Under the hood, it packs a cutting - edge 2nm chip, which enables it to support robust local AI inference capabilities. Industry projections suggest that the shipment volume of this earbud could reach a staggering 40 - 50 million units in its first year of release. Chris Lehane, who serves as the Chief Global Affairs Officer at OpenAI, confirmed that the company is adhering to its planned schedule. He mentioned that the company aims to officially launch its first device in the latter half of 2026. However, when pressed for more details, Lehane remained tight - lipped and declined to elaborate further.