Is a pen more powerful than a phone? That seems to be the question that arises with OpenAI’s latest hardware. According to a growing number of internal leaks, the company is working with former Apple design chief Jony Ive on a pen-like artificial intelligence device codenamed “Gumdrop,” a project that suggests moving away from screens and toward something more mundane and perhaps human.
The upcoming AI-powered device could also be used as a portable audio device and will likely be manufactured by Taiwan-based “Foxconn,” one of the world’s largest contract manufacturers that assembles a variety of products, including the latest iPhone and Google Pixel models.
This unofficial information about OpenAI’s secret AI-powered hardware project was revealed in a post by industry expert “Smart Pikachu” on X. The device could enable two-way communication with OpenAI’s ChatGPT via a paired smartphone or other device, according to X’s post.
The idea has surfaced as OpenAI’s long-rumored hardware ambitions begin to take shape, even if official details are still lacking. Rather than unveiling yet another flashy device, the focus is reportedly on a form that most people already understand. The thinking seems simple: If artificial intelligence is to be ubiquitous, it should be an object that doesn’t need attention to justify itself.
Some reports suggest that “Gumdrop” could serve multiple roles, acting as a pen-like input device and supporting audio interaction, suggesting a hybrid experience that combines handwriting, voice, and AI processing.
In these stories, the pen is not positioned as a high-end pen or drawing tool. Instead, it is presented as a common object that can capture notes or speech and pass them to ChatGPT for transcription, summarization, or systematization. Discussions about the supply chain also arose, with Vietnam mentioned as a potential production base, although previous plans were tied to another manufacturer.
The collaboration comes after OpenAI acquired Ive’s design startup “LoveFrom” for $6.5 billion in 2025. Ive, known for designing products like the iPhone and MacBook, for sure, he can bring the same minimalist design philosophy here, stripping away excess while making complex technology invisible. The leak suggests that “Gumdrop” could be one of three hardware concepts currently being evaluated, with a pen-like device likely to be the first in line.
The design’s understatedness may be its essence. The pen is socially invisible in the same way that headphones, pins, or other wearables are. It can exist on a desk or in a pocket without anyone noticing that someone is using AI at all.
After several high-profile startups’ attempts to bypass the smartphone have struggled to gain traction, OpenAI and Ive seem to be betting that the future AI interface will blend into its environment, even if it takes years of painstaking and unattractive work to achieve such simplicity.
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