Hon Hai replaces Lianxun to win OpenAI AI mobile device order, with the latest details revealing a "mini camera" appearance?

After ChatGPT swept the world, OpenAI is restructuring its team to focus on developing voice AI and hardware devices called “Gumdrop.” It is rumored that the appearance will be similar to “a pen” or a portable speaker, and it has entered the design stage, with a possible release as early as 2026. Meanwhile, the contract manufacturing partner has shifted from China’s Luxshare to Foxconn.

Voice is a battleground for competition. OpenAI announced a new generation of AI voice models in Q1 this year.

According to The Information, considering that OpenAI team believes voice is more closely related to daily life than language, the company plans to release a new audio language model in the first quarter of 2026, and has consolidated engineering, product, and research teams into a single department to focus on improving the accuracy and response speed of voice models.

Voice functionality has always been a key focus for competitors, from the growth and stagnation of Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, to breakthroughs brought by LLMs. Voice interfaces are gradually breaking free from early limitations. OpenAI believes that voice has the potential to become the next major battlefield that changes hardware specifications and usage habits.

(No more “Hey Siri”! ElevenLabs launches voice assistant 11.ai, integrating MCP to maximize work efficiency)

Gumdrop Project: An AI mobile device that could revolutionize smartphone habits

It is reported that internally, OpenAI has assigned the code name “Gumdrop” to this device, a hardware terminal based on AI. Several sources indicate that it may be:

A smart pen capable of real-time transcription of handwritten notes

A small wearable device that can hang around the neck, similar to an iPod Shuffle

Equipped with a microphone and mini camera, capable of detecting surrounding scenarios and calling ChatGPT at any time

Notably, OpenAI has recruited former Apple design visionary Jony Ive and former hardware design executive Tang Tan for this project, which could make it a more specialized portable voice AI assistant after the iPhone.

From Luxshare to Foxconn: OpenAI’s “De-Chinese-ization” hardware strategy

Additionally, the Economic Daily reports that OpenAI initially planned to have Luxshare handle manufacturing, but because it did not want the new product to be produced in China, the entire order has now been transferred to Foxconn. The production location is currently locked in Vietnam, with a possibility of manufacturing at Foxconn’s U.S. factories.

This move not only aligns with recent U.S. tech giants’ reorganization of supply chains but also makes Foxconn the biggest winner, able to handle OpenAI’s orders from cloud to end devices. It signifies an early strategic positioning in the AI device era, following milestones like the iPhone and Google Pixel.

(OpenAI reportedly partners with Luxshare to develop exclusive AI devices, aiming to capture the billion-dollar smart speaker market)

2026 to 2027: The first year of OpenAI building its own AI hardware ecosystem

It is understood that OpenAI’s first AI hardware device could be released within a year, with a launch expected in 2026 or 2027. Details remain highly confidential, but voice interaction, 24/7 companionship, and contextual sensing are considered fundamental directions. More importantly, this may not be the only product.

From voice models to voice interfaces, and then to physical devices, OpenAI is gradually piecing together a complete AI ecosystem that could redefine how people interact with AI.

This article “Foxconn replaces Luxshare to win OpenAI AI mobile device order, latest details reveal ‘mini camera’?” first appeared on Chain News ABMedia.