OpenAI Reportedly Developing ChatGPT-Powered Earbuds

“Sweetpea” could possibly pose as a rival of the Apple AirPods.

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Summary

  • OpenAI and Jony Ive’s io hardware team are reportedly turning their “physical AI” vision into Sweetpea, an ambitious ChatGPT-powered ear-worn device positioned as a direct AirPods challenger
  • Leaks describe Sweetpea as a behind-the-ear system with pill-like modules, a metal egg-shaped main body, and a 2nm smartphone-class chip plus custom silicon to trigger iPhone actions via Siri
  • The earbuds are rumored to headline a broader OpenAI hardware roadmap with Foxconn, signaling a serious push to move ChatGPT off screens and into always-on wearables

OpenAI’s first real swing at consumer hardware is shaping up to be anything but a polite AirPods clone. Across leaks and supply-chain chatter, Sweetpea is emerging as an ear-worn AI computer designed to live on your head all day, not disappear in your pocket. The form factor pushes past stem buds toward a metal eggstone-style main unit housing two pill-shaped modules that sit behind the ear, opening up more room for sensors, mics, and serious processing.

Under the hood, reports point to a 2nm smartphone-grade Exynos chip paired with a custom processor built to issue Siri commands and effectively proxy iPhone actions. The ambition reads bigger than just voice controls for playlists, framing Sweetpea as an always-on ChatGPT interface that can handle calls, audio, and potentially deeper phone-level tasks without constantly reaching for a screen. High bill-of-materials estimates, closer to a phone than standard earbuds, hint at premium pricing and capabilities but also signal that OpenAI expects this to be a flagship device, not a side experiment.

The Sweetpea leak also snaps into a larger hardware story Sam Altman and Jony Ive have been sketching since OpenAI acquired io in a multibillion-dollar deal. In their joint letter, they described “a family of devices that would let people use AI to create all sorts of wonderful things”. With Foxconn reportedly tapped to develop multiple OpenAI products through 2028, and Sweetpea said to be first in line, the AirPods-style wearable feels like the opening move in a longer play to make ChatGPT a constant, ambient presence rather than an app you open on your phone.

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Sources

Inc.

Is Sam Altman Preparing to Release an AirPod Killer?

Rumors suggest Sam Altman and Jony Ive are developing an AI audio gadget codenamed “Sweetpea,” described as a special audio product to replace AirPods, with pill-shaped earpieces and a metal egg-shaped case, powered by a 2nm chip and custom silicon to trigger iPhone actions via Siri.

Tom's Guide

AirPods killer? OpenAI's massive hardware leak targets Apple's earbuds

Tom’s Guide breaks down the Sweetpea leak: a “unique, never-before-seen” metal eggstone form factor with pill modules, a 2nm smartphone-class chip, and custom silicon to “replace iPhone actions by commanding Siri,” plus Foxconn involvement and forecasts of tens of millions of units.

Gizmodo

Jony Ive and Sam Altman’s First AI Gadget May Try to Kill AirPods

Gizmodo recounts Smart Pikachu’s leak that Sweetpea is a “special audio product” with behind-the-ear pills, an egg-shaped case, a 2nm chip, and a custom processor to let the device replace iPhone actions via Siri, floated for a possible September launch.

WeRSM - We are Social Media

You Might Soon Get an OpenAI Ear Wearable

WeRSM highlights Sweetpea as a rumored behind-the-ear OpenAI wearable with detachable modules, possible sensing features like an ultrasonic transmitter, and a production shift to Foxconn in Vietnam — suggesting plans for scale, not just experimentation.

Digital Trends

You might get an OpenAI ear wearable, and it's not just earbuds

Digital Trends highlights Sweetpea as a rumored OpenAI behind-the-ear wearable with detachable parts, possible skin-contact sensors and ultrasonic transmitter, and a production shift from Luxshare to Foxconn and Vietnam, suggesting real consumer-scale intent.

Beebom

OpenAI Wants to Replace Your AirPods With ChatGPT-Powered Earbuds

Beebom says OpenAI is reportedly developing a ChatGPT-powered audio device codenamed Sweetpea, with a unique metal eggstone body, behind-the-ear detachable modules, a 2nm Exynos-class chip, and custom silicon for Siri-based iPhone control, alongside other rumored devices like an AI pen.

Techlusive

OpenAI's First Audio Wearable May Launch In 2026 To Rival AirPods

Techlusive reports that OpenAI’s “To-Go” hardware project, codenamed Sweetpea, is a special audio product with a unique eggstone-shaped metal body, behind-the-ear pill modules, and a 2nm Exynos-favored chip plus custom silicon to replace iPhone actions via Siri, aiming for a 2026 launch.

Cult of Mac

OpenAI's first device might take on the AirPods

Cult of Mac says OpenAI’s first consumer hardware, Sweetpea, is a “special audio product to replace” AirPods, with a unique eggstone shape, behind-the-ear pills, a 2nm Exynos-class SoC, custom Siri-controlling silicon, and Foxconn assembly, alongside talk of future home and pen devices.

Digital Trends

You might get an OpenAI ear wearable, and it's not just earbuds

Digital Trends highlights Sweetpea as a rumored OpenAI behind-the-ear wearable with detachable parts, possible skin-contact sensors and ultrasonic transmitter, and a production shift from Luxshare to Foxconn and Vietnam, suggesting real consumer-scale intent.

Inc.

Is OpenAI Preparing to Release an AirPod Killer?

Inc. explores Smart Pikachu’s claim that Sam Altman and Jony Ive are building a new AI audio gadget called Sweetpea with a unique egg-shaped case, pill-style earpieces, and silicon “to replace iPhone actions by commanding Siri,” in the context of OpenAI’s acquisition of io.

WeRSM - We are Social Media

You Might Soon Get an OpenAI Ear Wearable

WeRSM highlights Sweetpea as a rumored behind-the-ear OpenAI wearable with detachable modules, possible sensing features like an ultrasonic transmitter, and a production shift to Foxconn in Vietnam — suggesting plans for scale, not just experimentation.