Jony Ive/OpenAI collaboration: taking on AirPods?

Rumors from Asia continue to circulate regarding the AI-centric product resulting from the high-flying partnership between Jony Ive and OpenAI. Jony Ive/OpenAI collaboration, 5 products by 2028? A little background first, recalling that OpenAI is a major player in AI (the ChatGPT conversational agent) and that Jony Ive is a key designer, formerly at Apple and co-creator of the iPhone, before leaving the company in 2019 to start his own design company (acquired by OpenAI). The latest rumor, coming from the Chinese leaker Smart Pikachu, reveals that Taiwanese assembler Foxconn (Apple's manufacturer) has been approached to produce five different products by the end of 2028, with the first of these expected to materialize as early as September 2026. These would be unusual wireless earbuds, as they don't go in the ear, but behind it. It's still unknown how they stay in place, and the leaker also rules out the use of bone conduction for sound. A Jony Ive/OpenAI collaboration, Sweetpea earbuds suspected for late 2026. Codenamed Sweetpea, these earbuds are said to be equipped with a high-end 2nm processor and will serve as a voice assistant based on ChatGPT. Design-wise, the earbuds are pill-shaped and come in an egg-shaped charging case. Something to catch the eye then, pure Ive. An intriguing product at first glance, and we can't wait to learn more about this gadget that seems to be a direct competitor to Apple's AirPods.