Luxshare jumps 10% on news of consumer AI device deal with OpenAI

Luxshare stock hit its daily limit on the Shenzhen Exchange Monday, rising 10% after The Information said the Chinese company signed a deal with OpenAI to build an AI device for consumers.

The surge pushed its total gain for the year to about 50%. Under Chinese stock rules, Shenzhen-listed companies can’t move more than 10% up or down in a single session.

The report came out Friday and cited sources close to the deal, who allegedly said Luxshare is already working on a prototype using ChatGPT’s large language models.

One version of the device could look like a smart speaker but without a screen, aiming for a launch in late 2026 or early 2027. That kind of product would go head-to-head with Apple’s Siri-based devices. The company hasn’t confirmed anything publicly, but insiders say production discussions are already underway.

OpenAI grabs Apple talent and pushes deeper into hardware

This isn’t just about Luxshare building hardware. It’s about OpenAI trying to muscle its way into the physical device market, and doing it by picking up Apple’s own people.

Its hardware division is now run by Tang Tan, who used to work at Apple. The Information says OpenAI has been poaching engineers and designers from inside Cupertino to help build this product line.

OpenAI already made one major move earlier this year. It teamed up with Jony Ive, the man behind the iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Air. OpenAI bought his startup, IO Products, in a $6.4 billion deal.

That buyout brought Ive into the fold, along with his product design team. If this new device ever makes it to launch, it’ll carry DNA from multiple former Apple veterans.

Luxshare, for its part, is no rookie. It already builds key parts for Apple’s AirPods and the Vision Pro headset. If the deal with OpenAI goes through, it would move from simply being an Apple supplier to working with Apple’s direct competitor. Luxshare is also reportedly looking to list in Hong Kong later this year.

Other Chinese manufacturers are being tapped as well. Goertek, which also works on AirPods, HomePods, and Apple Watches, is in talks with OpenAI too. They may supply speaker parts and other hardware components for the device, according to people close to the talks.

OpenAI’s strategy here is clear: they want to own the full AI experience, not just the software. Back in November, they brought in the former head of Meta’s Orion AR glasses project to run their robotics and consumer tech division.

That same month, they also made an early bet on a robotics firm called Physical Intelligence. That company is focused on what it calls “bringing general-purpose AI into the physical world.”

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