Apple Vision Products Hardware Leader Reportedly Leaves for OpenAI as AI Device Race Heats Up
Apple is facing another notable executive departure, and this one lands right in the middle of its ambitions for mixed reality, smart glasses, and future wearable devices. Paul Meade, Apple’s vice president of hardware engineering within the Vision Products Group, is reportedly leaving the company to join OpenAI.
Meade has spent around 15 years at Apple and has played a major role in hardware engineering for the Vision Pro, as well as Apple’s long-term work on smart glasses. His exit is significant because it comes at a time when Apple’s spatial computing strategy is under pressure, while OpenAI is moving aggressively into consumer hardware powered by artificial intelligence.
According to reporting from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Meade is expected to leave Apple next week and join OpenAI’s hardware division. That team is focused on developing AI-first consumer devices, an area that could eventually put OpenAI in direct competition with Apple’s most important products.
OpenAI’s hardware ambitions appear to extend beyond software assistants and chatbots. The company has reportedly explored several AI-powered devices, including earbuds internally known as “Sweetpea,” which may eventually be sold under the “Dime” name. Another concept, reportedly called “Gumdrop,” is said to resemble a pen-like consumer device.
However, OpenAI’s priorities may have shifted. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously suggested that some of OpenAI’s planned consumer gadgets have been placed on hold while the company focuses more heavily on an AI-powered smartphone. If accurate, that move would place OpenAI directly in the path of the iPhone, Apple’s most successful and strategically important product.
Kuo has also indicated that Luxshare could become the main assembler for OpenAI’s rumored smartphone. The device may use a customized version of MediaTek’s upcoming Dimensity 9600 chip, positioning it as a serious flagship competitor if it reaches the market.
The Dimensity 9600 is expected to be built on TSMC’s N2P manufacturing process. The Pro version of the chip is rumored to feature a powerful CPU setup with two ARM C2-Ultra cores clocked at around 5GHz, three ARM C2-Premium cores, and three ARM C2-Pro cores. That 2+3+3 configuration would mirror the general architecture expected from Qualcomm’s future Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 platform.
Meade’s move comes as Apple’s Vision Pro continues to struggle with mainstream adoption. While the headset generated major attention at launch, its high price, limited use cases, and niche appeal have prevented it from becoming a mass-market hit. Apple’s smart glasses are also not expected to arrive until late 2027, while more advanced AR glasses may not appear until 2028 or 2029.
That long timeline may help explain why OpenAI is becoming an attractive destination for hardware talent. The company is attempting to build a new category of AI-native devices, and former Apple engineers could be central to that effort.
Meade is not the only high-profile Apple figure to leave recently. In January 2026, Apple reportedly lost Stuart Bowers, a key Siri executive, to Google DeepMind. In December 2025, the company also saw the departure of several major executives, including former AI chief John Giannandrea and user interface design leader Alan Dye.
Apple’s design teams have also been affected by OpenAI’s growing hardware push. OpenAI acquired Jony Ive’s device startup io as part of its effort to create a next-generation consumer device that could challenge the iPhone. Reports have claimed that OpenAI has hired dozens of former Apple engineers, including manufacturing design expert Matt Theobald and human interface design lead Cyrus Daniel Irani.
To keep its remaining design talent, Apple has reportedly increased annual bonuses for key team members. Depending on Apple’s stock performance, some employees may now receive between $200,000 and $400,000 in bonuses.
The broader picture is clear: OpenAI is no longer focused only on AI software. It is building the talent, partnerships, and product roadmap needed to enter consumer electronics in a serious way. At the same time, Apple is trying to defend its leadership in hardware while catching up in artificial intelligence and keeping its most valuable engineers from leaving.
If OpenAI successfully turns its AI hardware plans into a mainstream product, the competitive landscape could shift dramatically. Apple still has the advantage of scale, ecosystem strength, brand loyalty, and years of hardware expertise. But the departure of key talent like Paul Meade shows that the battle for the future of AI devices is already underway.
