OpenAI is making a bold leap from software to hardware, with plans to launch its first AI-driven smartphone powered by a custom version of the MediaTek Dimensity 9600 chip. According to respected supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the company is “fast-tracking” the project, targeting mass production as early as the first half of 2027. If all goes according to plan, OpenAI expects to ship a staggering 30 million units across 2027 and 2028—a figure that puts it toe-to-toe with flagship launches from heavyweights like Apple and Samsung.
The phone, often dubbed the “ChatGPT phone,” is set to feature a customized Dimensity 9600 processor built on TSMC’s cutting-edge 2nm process. This silicon will be exclusive to OpenAI, with MediaTek as the sole supplier, following an earlier round of speculation that Qualcomm might also be involved. The Dimensity 9600, expected to launch this fall as the successor to the Dimensity 9500, will be paired with fast LPDDR6 memory and storage, plus advanced security features like “pKVM” to isolate sensitive processes.
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One of the phone’s standout features is its advanced image signal processor, boasting an “enhanced HDR pipeline” to give the device a superior sense of the world through its camera. This real-world sensing could be a game-changer for AI-powered applications and services. OpenAI’s aim is clear: by controlling both the operating system and hardware, it can deliver a seamless, deeply integrated AI agent experience—something current Android and iOS devices can only approximate due to system-level constraints.
Ambitions for the new phone go beyond just specs. Kuo suggests that OpenAI’s push into devices might be timed to coincide with its rumored IPO, now possibly delayed to 2027. The company is betting that its AI-first approach will resonate with users frustrated by limitations of current mobile platforms, and is setting its sights on the same scale as Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro Max or Samsung’s Galaxy A16 5G, which each shipped around 30 million units in their launch years.
Whether OpenAI’s gamble pays off remains to be seen, but with mass production targeted for early 2027 and a high-powered custom chip on board, the ChatGPT phone is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated tech launches of the decade.
