OpenAI’s $6.5B Deal With Jony Ive Hints at a Post-iPhone AI Era

What do you get when you combine the creative brain behind the iPhone with the most potent AI company on the planet? According to Sam Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, you get “the biggest thing we’ve ever done.”

According to The Wall Street Journal, in a move that could reshape how we interact with technology, OpenAI is bringing Jony Ive, the iPhone architect, on board to take the reins on hardware and design. Ive, the legendary designer behind Apple’s (AAPL) sleekest hits (iMac, iPod, iPhone, pick your favorite), will now help OpenAI leap from software into the world of real, touchable devices.

And we’re not just talking about another smart speaker or pair of AI glasses. Altman and Ive say they’re building something entirely new—something that “moves consumers beyond screens.” According to people close to the project, the mystery gadget won’t be a phone, glasses, or another wearable.

_{Sam Altman and Joni Ive join forces in an ambitious attempt.}

So What Are We Talking About?

That’s the billion-dollar question. $6.5 billion to be exact. That’s how much OpenAI is spending to acquire Ive’s startup, io, and its elite team of engineers, scientists, and designers. And they’ve got grand plans: to ship 100 million of these new “AI companions” that will sit on your desk or slip into your pocket and quietly change how you live.

It’s designed to be aware of your surroundings. It will help you, guide you, and maybe even help you finish your sentences. Think Siri meets Iron Man’s JARVIS, but in a form that fits in your hand, or perhaps just blends into your day. Altman calls it a “third device,” something you’d place alongside your iPhone and MacBook. And no, it’s not just a chatbot in a box. It’s more personal, more ambient, and more magical if the buzz is correct.

This isn’t OpenAI’s first flirtation with hardware. Altman was an early investor in Humane, the AI pin startup that fizzled out after failing to wow consumers. But this time, he’s swinging for the fences with a designer who helped Apple become a $3 trillion titan. The ambition seems clear: To go toe-to-toe with Apple, Google (GOOG) (GOOGL), and whoever else wants to control the future of how humans and machines talk.

Secrets as Usual

Behind the scenes, production talks are already underway. The company is in stealth mode, ensuring no one can copy their secret recipe before launch. But if they pull this off, it could be the iPhone moment of the AI age. Altman even told staff that this project alone could unlock $1 trillion in value for OpenAI. It’s a moonshot, but so was the iPhone in 2007. And we all know how that turned out.

So buckle up. Jony Ive is back. And he’s not designing smartphones anymore; he wants to design the future of AI.

Although this article doesn’t discuss chatbots, we’re still talking about OpenAI. So, using Tipranks’ Comparison Tool, we’ve assembled and compared some of the notable publicly traded companies that employ AI chatbots. This helps investors gain a broader perspective on each stock and the industry in general and make better-informed decisions.