Sam Altman says they’re building hardware “calmer” than the iPhone. What does it mean?
TechCrunch shared an excerpt from a roughly 30-minute panel featuring Sam Altman, where he mentioned that within the next two years, they plan to introduce hardware built by their AI company.
It’s supposed to be:
– "screenless" and pocket-sized
– offering a calmer experience than smartphones
– avoiding constant notifications and attention overload
Could they actually beat Apple at this?
What do you think this device could be?
[I reckon it will be some wearable item.] 329 views
Replies
Meet-Ting
minimalist phone: creating folders
@dbul Sounds cool, and also good for eyesight, but people are so visual. What about generating images? That option is useful for AI. I cannot imagine a device that cannot support this option.
Meet-Ting
Although I'd love to see a completely screenless device... I wonder if it will have some time of interface similar to kindle, a kind of e-ink that is less stimulating.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@mcval_osborne Maybe it will be any wearable without the screen, only reacting to our voice.
Triforce Todos
Apple is hard to beat on hardware, but OpenAI might win on intelligence and usefulness.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@abod_rehman Certainly, OpenAI created a very strong brand, it is innovative, and chances to beat Apple are increasing.
I’m really curious to see what “calmer” actually means in practice. No screen? No notifications? That's a big promise. If they’ve figured out a new interaction model, it could be fascinating.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@neri_zavadil I think it will be a wearable like a Pin, but it may lack features like displaying a generated image.
SourcePilot
minimalist phone: creating folders
@lucas_oliveira10 We are waiting for those devices projecting holograms. That would be a banger :D
The Jony Ive connection keeps me thinking that the device won’t be a “pin,” a “headset,” or a “Kindle-style screen.”
Ive doesn’t repeat. He reinvents.
What if the goal isn’t to remove the screen, but to remove the decision fatigue?
A device that removes notifications, removes app jumping, removes FOMO — and gives you only what’s meaningful.
Not a smaller iPhone.
A calmer computer.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@makotocrocop Dumbphones?
The idea is interesting but I am suspicious what they will actually come out with and if it can really replace how people use their phones today.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@norteapp Maybe it will not be so successful as they hope.
Tiny Mario
Hopeful, about the vision!! Skeptical, though, they can beat the resourceful-intimate-boredom-busting-dopamine-machine that is a smartphone. I think the challenge is more about turning smartphones lame than anything else. Still, I'm really looking for something that can free me from my phone. Which is not very smart and doesn't make me smart either.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@diegodottac I can imagine that their HW device can be a complementary product, but not something that replaces smartphones.
If it’s something I can wear and not get bombarded with pings every five minutes, I’m all in. Phones feel too loud these days, so a quiet sidekick sounds pretty nice.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@johanna_john1 But what about generated images? I find this feature of ChatGPT very valuable. How can one evaluate something he/she can't see?