Rohail Saleem

•Jan 2, 2026

OpenAI has reportedly approached Foxconn to manufacture its AI device either in Vietnam or the United States.

OpenAI has been working on a number of consumer-oriented devices with Apple's former Chief Design Officer, Jony Ive, hoping to supplant the iPhone with its suite of AI devices as the primary tech medium by leveraging AI-based productivity.

Now, we have just received some tantalizing tidbits regarding a pen-like device that OpenAI is planning to launch either in 2026 or 2027.

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OpenAI's pen-like device resembles the iPod Shuffle in size and may be carried in the pocket or worn around the neck

As per the reporting by Taiwan's Economic Daily, OpenAI had been planning to outsource the manufacturing of its upcoming consumer device to China's Luxshare. However, given the qualms in the US around a China-based primary supply chain, OpenAI has reportedly approached Foxconn to manufacture its device either in Vietnam or the United States, with an eye towards an official launch in 2026 - 2027.

Of course, Foxconn is already OpenAI's primary manufacturing and engineering partner, handling everything from co-designing AI data centers to overseeing their actual deployment. As such, it only makes sense for OpenAI to tap Foxconn for its upcoming AI-focused consumer device.

As for the device itself, it reportedly bears an internal codename "Gumdrop," and is likely to be a smart pen, similar in size to an iPod Shuffle but bereft of a dedicated screen. Additional details include:

1. It will have contextual awareness via a suite of sensors, including cameras and microphones.
2. The device will be able to run OpenAI's tailored AI models locally, with cloud computational support available for more compute-intensive tasks.
3. It will be able to convert handwritten notes into text and instantly upload them to ChatGPT.
4. The device will be able to communicate with its peers, akin to what we currently do with smartphones.
5. The device won't bear the form factor of a wearable, but may be carried in the pocket or worn around the neck.