# OpenAI’s hardware device may partly compete with AirPods Ultra – and lose

> Source: <https://9to5mac.com/2026/07/15/openais-hardware-device-may-partly-compete-with-airpods-ultra-and-lose/>
> Published: 2026-07-15 13:02:33+00:00

[Jony Ive](https://9to5mac.com/guides/jony-ive/) and Sam Altman made a big promise when they teased the launch of [a completely new concept](https://9to5mac.com/2025/05/22/the-io-device-is-mysterious-and-important-what-could-it-be/) in AI hardware more than a year ago.

The most recent report suggests that [OpenAI](https://9to5mac.com/guides/openai/) may *technically* be delivering on this promise, but could end up at least partly competing with an upcoming [AirPods](https://9to5mac.com/guides/airpods/) model. If so, I can easily see AirPods Ultra proving the more popular choice …