Sam Altman calls iPhone ‘greatest piece of hardware,’ says AI needs more

Sam Altman has described the Apple iPhone as “the greatest piece of consumer hardware ever made,” while suggesting that current smartphones may not be suitable for the next generation of artificial intelligence systems.

In a video clip shared on X (formerly Twitter), the OpenAI chief said today’s smartphones operate in an “on or off” manner, limiting their ability to naturally understand users’ lives, conversations, and daily context. 

According to Altman, future AI-focused devices should be capable of continuously understanding surrounding environments and retaining contextual information without requiring constant manual interaction.

Altman said people often have important conversations and experiences throughout the day, but current devices sitting in a pocket are unable to meaningfully absorb or remember those interactions. 

He suggested future AI systems could quietly assist users in real time by understanding conversations, context, and intent.

The comments come amid growing speculation about OpenAI’s reported hardware ambitions. 

Recent reports citing analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claim the company may be accelerating development of its first AI-focused smartphone, with mass production potentially targeted for the coming years.

The proposed device has reportedly been described as an “AI agent phone,” where intelligent AI assistants could replace traditional app-based experiences. 

Instead of manually switching between applications for tasks such as navigation, bookings, shopping, or messaging, users may rely on AI agents capable of handling actions automatically using contextual information.

Reports have also linked OpenAI’s hardware plans to former Apple design chief Jony Ive. 

Analysts believe the project could position OpenAI as a future competitor to AI products from Apple, Samsung, and Google as the race to define next-generation AI hardware intensifies.