After more than a year of speculation about screenless wearables, AI pins, and a possible “AI phone,” OpenAI has finally revealed its first piece of hardware — and it has nothing to do with Jony Ive’s much-hyped device. OpenAI has unveiled its first hardware device, and it is not a smartphone. Instead, the AI company has partnered with accessory maker Work Louder to create a “micro pad” for Codex, dubbed the Codex Micro. During the AI Engineer World Fair in San Francisco, OpenAI unveiled the new device. The Codex Micro is a Codex-branded input device manufactured in collaboration with the accessory company Work Louder.
OpenAI spokesperson Dominik Kundel described the Codex Micro at the AI Engineer World Fair as a keypad “designed to enhance users’ experience with Codex.”
“We got OpenAI x Work Louder collab before GTA6😗 Your favorite Codex shortcuts are getting an upgrade. July 15th.”~work louder
What The Codex Micro Actually Does:
The Codex Micro is a micro pad that resembles Work Louder’s Creator Micro 2. That device includes 13 mechanical switches, a joystick, and a touch sensor, allowing users to assign custom shortcuts and actions when working with different applications. Developers can assign frequently used commands to physical buttons, reducing the need to navigate menus or remember keyboard shortcuts.
While it is unclear exactly how the Codex Micro differs from the standard model, one can expect specific shortcuts for the Codex coding agent that could streamline workflows. In other words, it may be possible to trigger Codex functions using a physical controller, thereby avoiding the need to repeatedly copy, paste, and switch interfaces. Partnering with Work Louder suggests OpenAI is prioritizing workflow improvements rather than introducing an entirely new computing platform.
“the real exclusive is OpenAI is collaborating on a keyboard/product with Work Louder, likely named ‘Codex Micro’.”~SCOTT
Launch Date, Pricing, And Why This Is Not The Jony Ive Device:
OpenAI has shared previews of the Codex Micro on X, with a launch scheduled for July 15, 2026. It remains unclear whether the Codex Micro will be released globally or if its availability will be limited to select markets. As for pricing, little is known about the Codex Micro. However, to put it in perspective, Work Louder’s Creator Micro 2 is priced at $199 in the United States.
Crucially, this device should not be confused with the long-rumoured consumer AI hardware that OpenAI has been developing with former Apple design chief Jony Ive. The Codex Micro is not part of the AI hardware projects OpenAI is developing alongside Jony Ive. The July 15 launch is not the AI hardware project OpenAI is developing with former Apple design chief Jony Ive. That much-anticipated product remains on track for a release in the second half of 2026 and is expected to represent a much broader consumer AI device.
“OpenAI lanzará su primer ‘gadget’ el 15 de julio. El dispositivo, llamado Codex Micro y desarrollado con la marca de accesorios mecánicos Work Louder, se presentó en la AI Engineer World Fair de San Francisco.”~Madrid Actual
Where The Jony Ive Device Actually Stands:
The Codex Micro’s modest scope stands in sharp contrast to the much larger ambitions OpenAI has signalled for its collaboration with Ive. OpenAI’s hardware ambitions had previously been described as centered on non-phone form factors developed with former Apple design chief Jony Ive, whose startup io Products OpenAI acquired for $6.5 billion in May 2025. That project has faced repeated delays — OpenAI’s first Jony Ive-designed hardware device won’t ship to customers until next year, according to court filings. OpenAI’s original stated goal was to ship the ChatGPT-powered device before the end of 2026, but in the latest filing, the company said its first hardware device won’t ship to customers before the end of February 2027. The first product from that collaboration has since been identified as a smart speaker with an integrated camera, priced between $200 and $300 and expected to launch in early 2027.
For now, the Codex Micro gives OpenAI a low-risk entry into physical hardware aimed squarely at its existing developer base, while the company continues working through the much bigger and more delayed bet on consumer AI hardware with Ive’s team.
