OpenAI’s first consumer hardware device designed with Jony Ive is now expected to ship no earlier than the end of February 2027, based on new court filings reported by Wired and covered by MacRumors.
OpenAI had previously aimed to ship the device before the end of 2026.
The same filing also says OpenAI has not created packaging or marketing materials for the device yet.
And it confirms a naming change: OpenAI says it will not use “io” (or “IYO” or any capitalization of either) for naming, advertising, marketing, or selling AI-enabled hardware products.
This all comes from a trademark infringement lawsuit filed by audio device startup iyO, after OpenAI acquired “io,” a startup founded by Apple’s former design chief.
If you run growth or creative for a Shopify brand, Amazon business, TikTok Shop storefront, or social commerce operation, this matters for one reason.
It is a reminder that “new devices” are not your content plan.
Your content plan is the feeds you already live in.
What we actually know about the device (and what we do not)
A lot of AI hardware talk gets fuzzy fast, so here is the clean version of what the filings and reporting suggest.
What’s known or strongly indicated:
- It is positioned as a “third core device” that could sit in your pocket or on your desk alongside a MacBook Pro and iPhone.
- It apparently will not be an in-ear device.
- It apparently will not be a wearable.
- Leaks have described it as pocket-sized, contextually aware, and screen-free.
- OpenAI says it will not use the “io” name for AI hardware.
What’s not known:
- The exact form factor.
- How people will interact with it day to day.
- Whether it will create a new distribution channel for commerce.
- Whether it will be good at product discovery, shopping, or checkout.
There were also rumors about a Super Bowl ad unveiling the device, but those rumors were debunked. The post circulating online was deleted after spreading widely.
For operators, the takeaway is simple.
Even the most talked-about AI hardware can slip a full year. And until it ships, it does not change how customers buy from you.
Why this matters now for ecommerce: the “new surface area” trap
Every time a new device category is teased, ecommerce teams start asking:
- Do we need to prepare creative for it?
- Will it replace phones?
- Will it change ads?
- Should we wait?
The delay is a useful reality check.
Hardware timelines are slow. Lawsuits are real. Naming and branding can change late. And “cool prototypes” do not equal a channel you can scale this quarter.
Meanwhile, your real surface area is already here:
- TikTok videos and TikTok Shop product cards
- Instagram Reels and Facebook video placements
- YouTube Shorts
- Amazon product pages with video modules
- Shopify PDPs with autoplay video and shoppable clips
Those are the places where conversion is won or lost today.
The practical impact: what to do with your video strategy in 2026
If you sell online, the right move is not to plan for a mystery device in 2027.
The right move is to build a content system that can adapt to any new surface when it arrives.
That means you want three things:
- A repeatable way to produce short-form video at volume
- A clear testing loop tied to conversion, not views
- Brand consistency across creators, formats, and platforms
This is exactly where AI video workflows become infrastructure.
Not as a “campaign idea,” but as the system that keeps your catalog shoppable in video form.
For Shopify merchants: treat video like a product asset, not a post
On Shopify, the biggest unlock is to stop thinking of video as something you “publish” and start treating it like something you “attach” to products.
A strong baseline system looks like this:
- 3 to 5 short clips per hero SKU (10 to 20 seconds each)
- One “problem to solution” hook
- One product demo
- One social proof or UGC-style clip
- One comparison or “why this one” clip
- One offer or bundle clip (when relevant)
Then you reuse those clips across:
- PDP video modules
- Reels and Shorts
- Paid social
- Email and landing pages
If a new device shows up in 2027 with a new format, you are not starting from zero. You are adapting existing product video assets.
If you want a tighter workflow view, Tellos has a practical guide on building repeatable systems here: AI Video Content Workflow for Ecommerce: A Short Geo Guide
For Amazon sellers: video is already a ranking and conversion lever
Amazon does not reward “brand vibes.” It rewards clarity.
Your video job on Amazon is usually:
- Reduce returns by showing what the product really is
- Answer the top 5 objections fast
- Prove size, texture, and usage
- Make the listing feel complete and trustworthy
So the delay of a future AI device should not distract you.
If anything, it reinforces the priority: build a library of product videos you can refresh often, because your competitors are doing the same.
A simple operator move:
- Pull your top customer questions from reviews
- Turn each question into a 12 to 18 second video
- Add those clips to your Amazon listing video and reuse them as Shorts and Reels
That is “context awareness” you can ship today, without waiting for a screen-free gadget.
For TikTok Shop sellers: the product page is the feed
TikTok Shop keeps collapsing the distance between content and checkout.
So when people speculate about a “third core device,” ecommerce operators should translate that into a more grounded question:
Where is shopping becoming more native, more immediate, and more video-led?
TikTok is already there.
Your best play is to scale:
- Creator-style product demos
- Fast hooks that match search intent
- Variations by angle: unboxing, use case, before-after, comparison, “3 reasons,” and “what I wish I knew”
If you want a deeper read on how TikTok is reshaping the product page itself, this Tellos post is the most relevant companion: TikTok Just Reimagined the Product Page
For Instagram and Facebook commerce: consistency beats novelty
Meta’s advantage is distribution plus retargeting.
But Meta creative fatigue is real, and “one hero video” rarely survives a full quarter.
So the lesson from the OpenAI delay is not “ignore new platforms.”
It is: do not bet your pipeline on a single big unlock.
Instead, build a steady engine:
- 10 to 20 variations per concept
- Multiple openings (first 2 seconds) per product
- Multiple aspect ratios and caption styles
- Multiple creator voices, even if the product is the same
This is also where “influencer alternatives” become practical.
You do not always need a new paid creator for every iteration. You need a workflow that can produce UGC-style video reliably, with brand guardrails.
What “screen-free” and “contextual” could mean for commerce later
It is worth thinking ahead, but in a grounded way.
If a screen-free, context-aware device actually ships, it could shift two things:
-
How people ask for product recommendations
Instead of searching and scrolling, they may ask in natural language, in the moment. -
How brands win discovery
If the device answers with one or two suggestions, the “winner takes most” dynamic gets stronger.
That is not a reason to panic.
It is a reason to get serious about:
- Clear product positioning
- Consistent claims you can back up
- Video proof that demonstrates the claim fast
Because in any future where AI summarizes options, the brands with the clearest evidence tend to win.
And video is evidence.
A simple checklist: build content that survives platform shifts
If you want your video system to be resilient, use this checklist.
Your product video library should include:
- A demo that shows the product working in real life
- A “who it’s for” clip (and who it is not for)
- A sizing or scale clip (hand, body, room, desk, etc.)
- A