OpenAI is launching its first hardware product in 2 weeks, it is not a phone
OpenAI has taken the wraps off its first hardware device, and it is not a smartphone. Instead, the AI company has partnered with accessories maker Work Louder to create a micro pad for Codex, called the Codex Micro. Here are all the details.
For months, we have heard that OpenAI is working on a bunch of hardware products, led by former Apple chief designer Jony Ive. One of those hardware devices is rumoured to be a phone that would change the way we use smartphones. But the first hardware to come with the OpenAI name is not going to be a phone or even a wearable. Instead, it is a micro pad made for the company’s coding tool Codex.
During the AI Engineer World Fair in San Francisco, OpenAI showcased the new hardware device, the Codex Micro. Codex Micro is a Codex-branded input device that is built in partnership with accessories company Work Louder.
Work Louder is known for mechanical keyboards and macro pads with mappable keys, dials and switches.
What is Codex Micro?
The Codex Micro is not part of the AI hardware projects OpenAI is developing with Jony Ive Instead, as per the Verge, OpenAI spokesperson Dominik Kundel described the Codex Micro at the AI Engineer World Fair as a keyboard "designed to supercharge people’s Codex usage.”
The Codex Micro is a micro pad that appears to be similar to Work Louder’s Creator Micro 2. That device comes with 13 mechanical switches, a joystick and a touch sensor, and lets users assign shortcuts and custom actions when working across different applications.
While it is unclear what changes the Codex Micro brings compared to the standard model, you can expect dedicated shortcuts for the Codex coding agent that could make your workflow smoother. That is, you may be able to call up Codex functions from a physical controller instead of repeatedly copying, pasting and switching between interfaces.
Though OpenAI has not revealed the full feature set of Codex Micro just yet.
OpenAI is not the first company to partner with Work Louder. Previously, Figma created its own version of Creator Micro with Work Louder that was loaded with preconfigured shortcuts.
When will Codex Micro launch?
OpenAI has shared teasers for the Codex Micro on X, with a launch scheduled for July 15, 2026. It is unclear if the Codex Micro will be launched globally or will the release be limited to select markets.
In terms of pricing, we do not know much about the Codex Micro. But to give you some context, Work Louder’s Creator Micro 2 is priced at $199 (roughly Rs 18,800) in the US.
While OpenAI remains tight-lipped about when it plans to showcase its other hardware projects, do note that Microsoft recently showcased Project Solara, a new platform for AI-powered devices.
For months, we have heard that OpenAI is working on a bunch of hardware products, led by former Apple chief designer Jony Ive. One of those hardware devices is rumoured to be a phone that would change the way we use smartphones. But the first hardware to come with the OpenAI name is not going to be a phone or even a wearable. Instead, it is a micro pad made for the company’s coding tool Codex.
During the AI Engineer World Fair in San Francisco, OpenAI showcased the new hardware device, the Codex Micro. Codex Micro is a Codex-branded input device that is built in partnership with accessories company Work Louder.
Work Louder is known for mechanical keyboards and macro pads with mappable keys, dials and switches.
What is Codex Micro?
The Codex Micro is not part of the AI hardware projects OpenAI is developing with Jony Ive Instead, as per the Verge, OpenAI spokesperson Dominik Kundel described the Codex Micro at the AI Engineer World Fair as a keyboard "designed to supercharge people’s Codex usage.”
The Codex Micro is a micro pad that appears to be similar to Work Louder’s Creator Micro 2. That device comes with 13 mechanical switches, a joystick and a touch sensor, and lets users assign shortcuts and custom actions when working across different applications.
While it is unclear what changes the Codex Micro brings compared to the standard model, you can expect dedicated shortcuts for the Codex coding agent that could make your workflow smoother. That is, you may be able to call up Codex functions from a physical controller instead of repeatedly copying, pasting and switching between interfaces.
Though OpenAI has not revealed the full feature set of Codex Micro just yet.
OpenAI is not the first company to partner with Work Louder. Previously, Figma created its own version of Creator Micro with Work Louder that was loaded with preconfigured shortcuts.
When will Codex Micro launch?
OpenAI has shared teasers for the Codex Micro on X, with a launch scheduled for July 15, 2026. It is unclear if the Codex Micro will be launched globally or will the release be limited to select markets.
In terms of pricing, we do not know much about the Codex Micro. But to give you some context, Work Louder’s Creator Micro 2 is priced at $199 (roughly Rs 18,800) in the US.
While OpenAI remains tight-lipped about when it plans to showcase its other hardware projects, do note that Microsoft recently showcased Project Solara, a new platform for AI-powered devices.
