Sam Altman and Jony Ive Will Kill AI Gadgets Long Before They Kill the iPhone
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The Hype Around AI Gadgets
The recent explosion of AI-powered tools—whether virtual assistants, generative apps, or smart wearables—has led to a wave of startup energy aimed at designing the first true “AI-native” device. Products like the Humane AI Pin and the Rabbit R1 aim to challenge the dominance of traditional smartphones by offering a more context-aware, conversational interface.
These devices promise to remove the screen-based, app-heavy paradigm in favor of voice, gesture, and AI-driven automation. In theory, this should simplify interaction and usher in a more seamless blend of human and machine. In practice, the results have been underwhelming. Reviews of these early AI gadgets often point to laggy performance, unclear use cases, battery life issues, and frequent connectivity hiccups.
Enter Altman and Ive
Against this backdrop, the partnership between Sam Altman and Jony Ive stands out as a potentially defining moment. Altman brings access to cutting-edge AI models through OpenAI, while Ive offers unmatched industrial design expertise. Together, they are reportedly working on an AI hardware device that could rethink personal computing from the ground up.
Their collaboration is backed by significant investment and talent, including SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son, who is reportedly involved in discussions. The ambition is to create something fundamentally different—not just another smartphone or wearable, but a device that reflects how people will interact with AI in the next decade.
Why the iPhone Isn’t Going Anywhere—Yet
Despite all the excitement, talk of “killing” the iPhone is premature. The iPhone isn’t just a phone—it’s an ecosystem. It integrates tightly with Apple’s services, offers unmatched app support, and is central to the digital lives of over a billion users. Any device that hopes to replace it must not only be vastly superior technologically but also provide a compelling ecosystem and use case.
Moreover, the iPhone continues to evolve. Apple is actively integrating AI and machine learning into iOS, and rumors suggest that Apple will unveil a suite of generative AI features in upcoming releases. In essence, Apple is not standing still. It is likely to co-opt the best ideas from AI startups and incorporate them into its existing hardware and software.
The Problem With Current AI Devices
One of the biggest issues plaguing AI gadgets today is the lack of a clear and compelling user need. Many of these devices are marketed as assistants, but their actual utility often falls short. Voice commands can be misinterpreted. Latency issues frustrate users. Battery life is often poor. And most importantly, they lack a must-have feature that makes people want to carry them around every day.
Unlike the smartphone, which replaced a dozen different tools—camera, GPS, music player, computer, and more—AI gadgets so far have not offered a similarly transformative experience. At best, they replicate some smartphone tasks in a clunkier way. At worst, they introduce new frustrations.
What Altman and Ive Could Do Differently
Where Altman and Ive might succeed is not in replacing the iPhone but in redefining what a personal AI device can be. Instead of trying to mimic the smartphone experience, they could design something radically new—focused entirely on what AI does best: prediction, conversation, summarization, and automation.
Their device could, for example, be constantly listening and learning in a privacy-conscious way, proactively offering suggestions, scheduling tasks, or summarizing important information without user prompts. Instead of needing a screen, it might rely on audio feedback or a minimalistic display. With Ive’s design vision, it could be beautiful and unobtrusive—something people would want to wear or carry without hesitation.
More importantly, the duo has the resources and reach to build a meaningful ecosystem. By combining OpenAI’s technology with Ive’s product design and strategic partnerships, they could create an experience that feels like magic—just as the iPhone did in 2007.
Changing the Conversation
Rather than aiming to “kill” the iPhone, what Altman and Ive could really do is shift the conversation. Instead of creating yet another gadget that adds to digital clutter, they might build a device that reduces it. Imagine a tool that helps you focus rather than distracts you, that understands your preferences deeply, and that operates more like a digital companion than a device.
This would have implications not just for consumers, but for the entire tech industry. It could force companies to rethink how they approach AI integration, user interface design, and privacy. In doing so, Altman and Ive might not eliminate smartphones, but they could render some of their roles obsolete—especially if users find AI devices more efficient for certain tasks.
The Inevitable Coexistence
History suggests that new categories don’t usually eliminate old ones—they coexist. Laptops didn’t kill desktops. Tablets didn’t kill laptops. Smartwatches didn’t kill smartphones. Each found a niche and gradually improved until they became indispensable in their own way.
That’s likely what will happen here. The iPhone will remain the primary computing device for billions. But AI devices, especially those thoughtfully designed by leaders like Altman and Ive, could find their way into our lives as companions rather than replacements. Over time, they may influence how smartphones evolve—pushing them toward less screen time, more intelligence, and better contextual understanding.
Conclusion
The collaboration between Sam Altman and Jony Ive is undoubtedly one of the most exciting developments in tech. But it’s unlikely that their creation will kill the iPhone. Instead, their true impact might lie in exposing the weaknesses of current AI gadgets and demonstrating what AI hardware should look like.
By focusing on usefulness, elegance, and deep integration with AI systems, Altman and Ive could help birth a new category of devices—ones that don’t compete directly with smartphones but rather redefine how we interact with technology altogether. And in doing so, they may render much of today’s AI gadget hype obsolete before it ever had a chance to take off.