While Google has online data and Apple has on-device data, OpenAI lacks a direct feed into a user's physical interactions. Developing hardware, like an AirPod-style device, is a strategic move to capture this missing "personal context" of real-world experiences, opening a new competitive front.

Leaks suggest OpenAI's first hardware device will be an audio wearable similar to AirPods. By choosing a form factor with proven product-market fit and a massive existing market ($20B+ for Apple), OpenAI is strategically de-risking its hardware entry and aiming for mass adoption from day one.

The true challenge for the rumored OpenAI hardware isn't production, but breaking through Apple's powerful ecosystem effects, particularly iMessage integration. User adoption of a new, screenless form factor is another major, unsolved problem that has stumped previous startups.

Instead of visually-obstructive headsets or glasses, the most practical and widely adopted form of AR will be audio-based. The evolution of Apple's AirPods, integrated seamlessly with an iPhone's camera and AI, will provide contextual information without the social and physical friction of wearing a device on your face.

Leaks about OpenAI's hardware team exploring a behind-the-ear device suggest a strategic interest in ambient computing. This moves beyond screen-based chatbots and points towards a future of always-on, integrated AI assistants that compete directly with audio wearables like Apple's AirPods.

OpenAI isn't just hiring talent; it's systematically poaching senior people from nearly every relevant Apple hardware department—camera, silicon, industrial design, manufacturing. This broad talent acquisition signals a serious, comprehensive strategy to build a fully integrated consumer device to rival Apple's own ecosystem.

While many expect smart glasses, a more compelling theory for OpenAI's first hardware device is a smart pen. This aligns with Sam Altman's personal habits and supply chain rumors, offering a screenless form factor for a proactive AI companion.

Apple's partnership with Google for Siri was less about Google's technological superiority and more a strategic move to avoid empowering OpenAI, which is increasingly becoming a direct competitor in consumer hardware like smart glasses and audio devices. Giving OpenAI access to Apple's ecosystem would train a future rival.

Razer's bet for bringing AI into the real world is on headphones. They argue it's a universal, unobtrusive form factor that leverages existing user behavior, avoiding the adoption friction and social awkwardness associated with smart glasses or other novel devices.