RBC checks suggest OpenAI device coming as early as September

Investing.com -- RBC Capital said new supply chain checks point to a potential OpenAI hardware debut as early as September, a move the firm believes could signal the company’s push toward creating “a 3rd mobile ecosystem.”

Analyst Brad Erickson noted that third-party reports of an OpenAI ear-based wearable were “curious, particularly from a ChatGPT ecosystem lock-in perspective.”

According to RBC’s note, an Asia-based supply chain leaker reported that OpenAI may launch earbuds “by September of this year” with expected annual volumes of 40–50 million units, housed “inside an eggstone shaped case.”

The leaker also suggested five total devices could arrive “by end of 2028,” with a 2nm smartphone-class processor and a future ASIC, and functionality “expected to replace iPhone actions by commanding Siri.”

RBC said concerns around a bill of materials “closer to a smartphone” could push pricing higher, though the device is described as screenless.

“The most curious part to us,” Erickson wrote, is the implied complementary role these devices might play alongside the iPhone.

With Apple and Google announcing a new partnership, RBC said “ChatGPT’s opportunity to participate in iOS appears to be declining,” increasing reliance on compelling hardware to bring users into OpenAI’s “own walled garden.”

RBC also noted OpenAI is “reportedly gearing up for another Super Bowl ad,” calling it another sign of “intensifying competition in LLM chatbot land.” The firm said this competitive dynamic could bolster hyperscaler backlogs, which it sees as a “path of less/least resistance in 2026.”

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