OpenAI is developing a pen-shaped AI device codenamed "Gumdrop" with former Apple designer Jony Ive, expected to launch in late 2026 or 2027 and manufactured by Foxconn in Vietnam after a dispute shifted production away from Chinese manufacturer Luxshare.
The company plans to release a new audio AI model in the first quarter of 2026 that delivers more natural and emotionally nuanced speech, led by voice researcher Kundan Kumar recruited from Character.AI, as current audio models lag behind text-based ones in accuracy and speed.
The pen-like device could transcribe handwritten notes directly into ChatGPT and enable voice communication, entering a market where standalone AI hardware like Humane's AI Pin has struggled, while Meta launched competing Ray-Ban Display AI glasses.
