OpenAI's upcoming hardware family, including a smart speaker and glasses, will intentionally have no screens. This is a deliberate strategic choice to move beyond the screen-centric ecosystem dominated by Apple and Google. It represents a bet on a future where AI interaction is primarily ambient, powered by voice and computer vision rather than touchscreens.

Startups are overwhelmingly focusing on rings for new AI wearables. This form factor is seen as ideal for discrete, dedicated use cases like health tracking and quick AI voice interactions, separating them from the general-purpose smartphone and suggesting a new, specialized device category is forming.

Joanna Stern argues against the imminent death of the smartphone. She predicts it will remain the core device due to its mature battery, connectivity, and sensor technology. Future wearables, like smart glasses or audio recorders, will function as peripherals that connect to the phone as a central hub.

The market for AI devices will exceed the smartphone market because it encompasses not just phones but a new generation of wearables (glasses, rings, watches) that will serve as constant companions connected to AI agents.

Contrary to the belief that new form factors like phones replace laptops, the reality is more nuanced. New devices cause specific tasks to move to the most appropriate platform. Laptops didn't die; they became better at complex tasks, while simpler jobs moved to phones. The same will happen with wearables and AI.

Analyst Ben Thompson argues the ideal model for AI agents is a "hub-and-spoke" system with the cloud as the central platform, not the smartphone. Devices act as access points, allowing agents to work seamlessly across ecosystems, overcoming the siloed nature of mobile operating systems where the phone is the center.

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.

Current devices like smartphones are 'pre-AI' hardware not optimized for modern AI interaction. The next major technological wave will be devices built from the ground up to be perceptual, conversational, and empathetic. This creates a massive opportunity for founders to build the successor to the phone.

Current devices like phones and computers were designed before the advent of human-like AI and are not optimized for it. Figure's founder argues that this creates a massive opportunity for a new class of hardware, including language devices and humanoids, which will eventually replace today's dominant form factors.