OpenAI's "Sweetpea": A Revolutionary AirPods Competitor Coming

Fresh intelligence from supply chain sources suggests OpenAI is racing to launch a groundbreaking audio device that could fundamentally challenge Apple's dominance in the wireless earbuds market. The device, internally codenamed "Sweetpea," represents OpenAI's most aggressive hardware play yet, and it's coming much sooner than expected.

The Hardware Roadmap: Five Devices by 2028

According to sources close to Foxconn's manufacturing operations, OpenAI has commissioned the Taiwanese giant to prepare production lines for five distinct hardware products by Q4 2028. While the complete lineup remains under wraps, the portfolio is believed to include:

• Sweetpea (audio wearable) now the flagship priority
• A home style ambient device
• A pen like input device
• Two additional unconfirmed form factors

However, multiple sources confirm that Sweetpea has jumped to the front of the development queue, driven by intense focus from Jony Ive's design team. The former Apple design chief's involvement signals OpenAI's ambitions to deliver hardware that matches or exceeds Apple's legendary industrial design standards.

Target Launch: September 2025

The most striking revelation is the aggressive timeline: Sweetpea is now targeting a September 2025 launch, with first year production volumes projected at 40 to 50 million units, a scale that would immediately position it as a major player in the premium audio market.

For context, Apple shipped approximately 100 million AirPods units in 2024, meaning OpenAI is aiming to capture roughly half that volume in its debut year, an extraordinarily ambitious target for a first generation product from a company with no hardware track record.

Design: "Unique, Unseen Before"

Sources describe the industrial design as "unique, unseen before," with a primary form factor resembling an "eggstone", a smooth, metallic pebble shaped case. The interaction model diverges sharply from traditional earbuds:

• The main "eggstone" case houses two removable capsule shaped earpieces (described as "胶囊pills")
• These capsules rest behind the ear rather than inserting into the ear canal
• The behind the ear design suggests a bone conduction or external audio approach, potentially offering all day comfort without ear canal fatigue

This design philosophy mirrors OpenAI's broader ambition: creating ambient AI companions that fade into the background of daily life.

Technical Specifications: Phone Class Performance

The hardware specifications reveal OpenAI's intent to build something fundamentally more powerful than existing audio wearables:

Processing Power

• Target chip: 2nm smartphone class processor (Samsung Exynos currently favored)
• Custom AI accelerator designed to enable the device to "replace iPhone actions by commanding Siri"
• This suggests on device AI processing capable of handling complex voice commands, real time translation, contextual awareness, and multimodal interactions without cloud dependency

Bill of Materials Concerns

Sources indicate BOM (Bill of Materials) costs are alarmingly high, closer to smartphone economics than traditional audio accessories. This suggests premium components across the board:

• Advanced sensors (potentially including cameras, LiDAR, or environmental awareness)
• High capacity battery systems
• Premium audio drivers
• Extensive connectivity options (5G/Wi-Fi 7/Bluetooth 5.4)

The high BOM raises critical questions about pricing strategy. If Sweetpea targets the $500 to $800 range (comparable to flagship smartphones), it would redefine expectations for what a "wearable" can be, but also face significant market resistance.

Strategic Context: Foxconn's Redemption Arc

There's a fascinating competitive subplot here: Foxconn is deeply motivated to prove itself after losing Apple's entire AirPods manufacturing contract to rival Luxshare (立讯精密). Winning the Sweetpea program represents a chance to reclaim its position in premium audio manufacturing and to demonstrate it can execute on cutting edge wearable technology.

This competitive dynamic could benefit OpenAI, as Foxconn will likely prioritize quality and speed to showcase its capabilities to other potential clients.

The Jony Ive Factor: Why Sweetpea Jumped the Queue

The fact that Jony Ive's team pushed Sweetpea ahead of other hardware projects is telling. Ive's design philosophy centers on simplicity, elegance, and seamless integration into daily life, principles that align perfectly with OpenAI's vision of ambient AI.

The prioritization suggests:

1. Design complexity: The "eggstone" form factor and behind the ear capsules likely required extensive industrial design iteration
2. Market opportunity: The audio wearables market ($40B+ annually) offers immediate scale
3. Differentiation potential: Unlike smart home devices or pens (crowded categories), Sweetpea's unique design could carve out a distinct niche

Competitive Landscape: Taking on Apple, Meta, and Google

Sweetpea enters a fiercely competitive market:

• Apple AirPods: Dominant market leader with deep ecosystem integration
• Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses: AI powered wearables with camera capabilities
• Google Pixel Buds: Integration with Gemini AI
• Samsung Galaxy Buds: Premium audio with Bixby integration

OpenAI's advantage lies in its AI first approach. While competitors retrofit AI features into existing hardware paradigms, Sweetpea is purpose built around conversational AI, with hardware designed to disappear and let the intelligence shine.

The "Replace iPhone Actions" Ambition

Perhaps most intriguing is the claim that Sweetpea aims to "replace iPhone actions by commanding Siri." This suggests:

• Standalone functionality: Making phone calls, sending messages, managing calendars, all without pulling out a phone
• Contextual awareness: Understanding where you are, what you're doing, and what you need
• Proactive assistance: Anticipating needs rather than waiting for explicit commands

If OpenAI can deliver even 70% of this vision, Sweetpea could fundamentally shift how we interact with AI throughout the day, moving from reactive (phone based) to ambient (always on, context aware).

Risks and Unknowns

Several critical questions remain:

1. Battery life: Can a device this powerful last all day?
2. Privacy concerns: Always on AI listening raises significant privacy questions
3. Pricing: Will consumers pay smartphone prices for earbuds?
4. Ecosystem lock in: How will it work with non OpenAI services?
5. Regulatory challenges: Data processing, privacy laws, and spectrum licensing

Conclusion: A Defining Moment for OpenAI

If these reports prove accurate, September 2025 will mark OpenAI's most significant pivot yet, from software platform to integrated hardware software ecosystem. The Sweetpea project represents a direct challenge to Apple's wearable dominance and a bold bet that the future of AI interaction is ambient, hands free, and always on.

The involvement of Jony Ive, the aggressive production targets, and the smartphone class processing power all signal that OpenAI views Sweetpea not as an experiment, but as a potential category defining product.

Whether consumers are ready to embrace AI first wearables, and whether OpenAI can deliver on this ambitious vision, remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the hardware wars around AI are heating up, and OpenAI is no longer content to be just a software player.

Disclaimer: All information in this article is based on unconfirmed supply chain sources https://x.com/kimmonismus/status/2010804115543114099?s=20 and should be treated as speculation until officially announced by OpenAI. Technical specifications, timelines, and product details may change significantly before any potential launch.