OpenAI's debut device Dime, codenamed Sweetpea, is set to launch as simple smart headphones with limited AI, relying on cloud computing due to cost constraints.
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OpenAI continues to prepare for its entry into the consumer device market, but the first details about the company's debut gadget appear far less ambitious than expected. The device, internally codenamed Sweetpea and previously described as a breakthrough AI gadget, will reportedly launch under the commercial name Dime and seems to be much simpler than initially anticipated.
Company representatives first discussed plans to launch their first mass-market product in the second half of 2026 at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Later, Taiwanese sources clarified that the release could happen as early as September 2026, with production likely to be set up at Foxconn facilities in Vietnam. In an optimistic scenario, OpenAI aims to sell up to 50 million units in the first year, immediately positioning the project as a mass-market offering.
However, a fresh leak from the well-known insider Smart Pikachu significantly dampens this enthusiasm. According to their information, the first version of Dime will essentially be "smart headphones without the magic"—a simple audio device with limited AI capabilities. The original idea to equip the headphones with near "smartphone-level" computing power has been postponed. The reason cited is a sharp increase in memory prices and the rising cost of Samsung's 2-nanometer Exynos chip, which was supposed to form the device's foundation.
As a result, OpenAI appears to have decided to revise its strategy and release a more modest product that heavily relies on cloud computing. This move also casts doubt on the timelines for the company's other ambitious projects, including the mysterious Gumdrop device—a compact, screenless AI gadget about the size of an iPod Shuffle, designed for constant interaction with ChatGPT.
If this information is confirmed, OpenAI risks following the path of many startups whose first hardware products failed to meet market expectations. Dime could become a cautious but disappointing debut, pushing the company's true AI devices further into the future.