PANews reported on January 19th, citing Walter Bloomberg, that OpenAI's head of policy, Chris Lehane, revealed that the company plans to launch its first hardware device in the second half of 2026. Since acquiring Jony Ive's AI hardware company io, CEO Sam Altman has teased a simple, screenless AI device, but specific details have remained limited. Lehane stated that OpenAI expects to release the product by the end of 2026, although a sales date has not yet been determined.