[DigitalToday reporter Yoonseo Lee] A projection has emerged that OpenAI is preparing a ChatGPT-centric smartphone as its first hardware product.

MacRumors, cited by tech outlet The Verge on May 5 (local time), reported that IT tipster Ming-Chi Kuo said OpenAI is accelerating development of the product and is targeting mass production in early 2027.

The projection is drawing attention because OpenAI's first hardware could be closer to a smartphone form factor than an undisclosed Jony Ive-related device that has been discussed. That raises the possibility OpenAI could set a mainstream mobile device, rather than a separate dedicated gadget, as the starting point of its hardware strategy.

Kuo said OpenAI is pushing development of the product "quickly". He expected mass production in early 2027. If the schedule proceeds as such, OpenAI would expand its business scope beyond a software-focused company to a platform company with its own device.

A shipment outlook was also presented. Kuo estimated cumulative shipments could reach about 30 million units from 2027 to 2028. That would imply the company is targeting a sizable scale despite it being its first hardware product.

A custom chip based on MediaTek's Dimensity 9600 was mentioned as a key component. The chip, expected to be launched this autumn, was introduced as the successor to the Dimensity 9500 currently used in devices including the Vivo X300 Pro and Oppo Find X9 Pro. OpenAI could add custom design to bolster configurations needed for artificial intelligence processing.

In particular, the image signal processor (ISP) was cited as a key specification of the custom chip. Kuo saw enhanced HDR capabilities as potentially improving visual recognition in real environments. That is speculation that ChatGPT could expand beyond text to also handle camera-based visual input.

Memory and storage specifications were also discussed at premium-smartphone levels. The projection suggested LPDDR6 memory and UFS 5.0 storage could be applied, and that a dual NPU architecture capable of handling different AI computations simultaneously, such as language and vision tasks, could also be included. This structure was interpreted as focusing on parallel processing of multiple AI functions such as chatbot responses and camera recognition.

However, the information disclosed so far is based on supply-chain speculation, and the product name, specific launch method, software configuration and distribution strategy have not been confirmed.

In this situation, the smartphone push is being taken as a signal of whether OpenAI's AI services could expand beyond apps and the web into dedicated devices. If an actual launch occurs, the focus of competition could shift from simple hardware specifications to how deeply generative AI is integrated into everyday mobile use experiences.

【Industry Check Update】OpenAI appears to be fast-tracking its first AI agent phone, with mass production targeted as early as 1H27. Potential drivers include supporting a year-end IPO narrative and intensifying competition in AI agent phones. MediaTek currently appears better… https://t.co/wtumZ4XgA7