Could this be the iPhone moment… all over again?
Last week, Sam Altman and Jony Ive dropped a teaser for their new venture, io. But it wasn’t your typical tech launch. It played more like a Wes Anderson rom-com: strolls through sunlit streets, soft glances over espresso, musings on San Francisco and creativity.
Which made me wonder, was there anything real behind the vibes?
Turns out… maybe.
🔎 According to The Verge and OpenAI’s own blog, here’s what’s in the works:
A screen-free, pocket-sized device
Aims to reduce screen time entirely
Feels more like a personal AI companion than another smartphone
Powered by ambient awareness + cloud-based LLMs
Described as a “third core device” neither phone, nor laptop, nor glasses
They’re calling it the start of an “ambient computing layer” that’s invisible, contextual, and always available.
💬 Altman’s frustration is clear:
“If I want to ask ChatGPT something, I have to open a laptop and launch a browser. We deserve better.”
Ive’s contribution seems just as philosophical—acknowledging the damage done by the very screens he helped design. This time, they say, it’ll be “human-centered.” Values-first. Private. Trustworthy.
That sounds familiar.
In 2007, I remember unboxing my first iPhone while still working with Nokia. I hid it under the table during meetings until a senior exec spotted it and said, “It’s a niche toy. Our dominance is secure.” Spoiler: it wasn’t.
By 2013, Nokia was gone.
“We didn’t do anything wrong,” the CEO said, “but somehow, we lost.”
I don’t know if io will be the next seismic shift. But I do know this: the next big wave doesn’t always look disruptive when it arrives. It might look like two guys in a café, talking softly about creativity.
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Originally published in the For Breakfast newsletter on LinkedIn, June 5, 2025. Full video episodes are on YouTube at @HaveItForBreakFast.