Been 6 years since Jony Ive left Apple, is io his second coming?

https://openai.com/sam-and-jony

Jony Ive made a lot of money since leaving Apple, more than what he could have made at Apple. $6.5B is a great deal for him, the new entity can easily attract more investments to make this a profitable deal. There were high expectations on Loveform, but none of the clients or projects they took on won raving reviews.

But can they really deliver cool mass market hardware for OpenAI? Will be expensive for them to build it in US with all the tariffs. Can easily be copied by others if they release anything previously unimagined. And OpenAI is still not the de facto leader in AI industry, still too early to claim that they can strongly entice users pay more for new hardware and services.

Sure, Jony Ive had the experience at Apple to design great products and changed the tech world. Great industrial design is a very important part, but to delivery billions of hardware devices is not an easy pivot, will take a long time and serious commitments. Google tried so hard to do it, even bought another ex-Apple product head with Nest, but still not winning. (Google spent $3.2 billion on Nest in 2014, so 6.5B for Jony is a steal.)

It’s still hard to imagine Jony or Sam will be around for another 10-20 years for this. Hope they can shock and change the world again.

Using AI, here are the possible non-smartphone products:

1. Smart Glasses – Meta, Apple and Google are already doing it, too crowded already

  • Features: Augmented reality overlays, real-time translation, navigation assistance, and hands-free notifications.
  • AI Use: Facial recognition, gesture control, and context-aware information delivery.

2. AI-Powered Fitness Tracker – Can’t easily beat Apple Watch and other smart watches

  • Features: Advanced health metrics, personalized workout suggestions, nutrition tracking, and recovery optimization.
  • AI Use: Predictive analytics for health trends and real-time coaching based on biometric data.

3. Home Robotics – Tesla and other humanoid robots, a rather big leap

  • Features: Autonomous cleaning, home monitoring, and companionship.
  • AI Use: Object recognition, voice command processing, and learning household routines for efficiency.

4. Smart Kitchen Appliances

  • Features: AI-enabled ovens, refrigerators, and coffee makers that adapt to user preferences.
  • AI Use: Recipe suggestions based on available ingredients, cooking assistance, and energy optimization.

5. Wearable Health Monitors

  • Features: Continuous monitoring of vital signs, sleep quality, and stress levels.
  • AI Use: Predictive health insights and alerts for potential health issues based on trends.

6. AI-Enhanced Personal Assistant Devices

  • Features: Voice-activated devices for managing tasks, reminders, and smart home integration.
  • AI Use: Natural language processing for better understanding of user intent and context.

7. Smart Mirrors

  • Features: Displays weather, news, and personal health data, along with beauty and wellness tips.
  • AI Use: Facial recognition for personalized recommendations and skin analysis.

8. Intelligent Pet Care Devices

  • Features: Automated feeders, health monitors, and interactive toys.
  • AI Use: Behavior analysis to optimize care and engagement strategies.

9. AI-Powered Security Cameras

  • Features: Real-time monitoring, motion detection, and facial recognition for enhanced security.
  • AI Use: Anomaly detection and alerts based on unusual activity patterns.

10. Smart Sleep Aids

  • Features: Devices that monitor sleep patterns and create optimal sleeping environments.
  • AI Use: Tailored sleep recommendations and smart alarms that wake users during light sleep cycles.