A moment that confirms the signal

When OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Apple’s former design chief Jony Ive publicly introduced their new venture — io — they didn’t just launch a company.

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They confirmed a shift that’s been quietly building: AI is no longer just a software story. It’s becoming a hardware race.

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At Trendtracker, we’ve been watching this unfold through trend data long before it became a splashy headline.

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What the signal said — before the story broke

AI hardware didn't appear overnight. It's been quietly climbing our trend radars for years, not through press releases, but through data. As you can see below, the story is clear

• A steady build-up until 2023
• A sharp upward curve from 2024 into 2025
• A forecasted peak within the next 0-2 years

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This isn't a guess, it's a trajectory.

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But the chart is just the start. Inside Trendtracker, we picked up deeper signals, including:

• Patent filings in multimodal sensor interfaces
• Hiring spikes in spatial computing and device design
• Investor movement around early-stage AI-first device startups
• Corporate earnings call mentions of “AI edge devices” and “ambient computing”

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While many were focused on model wars, the smarter strategists were watching where AI would show up next: in your hand, on your desk, or embedded in your environment.

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The rise of AI-native hardware wasn’t just possible — it was predictable. Want to know how this will impact your industry? Our trend experts are ready to guide you through this journey.

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Why this matters for strategic leaders

If you’re in product, innovation, foresight, or even risk: this is a pivot point.

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The interface is changing. And with it, the expectations of consumers, regulators, and enterprise users. Devices like the one Altman and Ive are working on will shape:

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• How users interact with AI (intuitively, not transactionally)
• Where AI shows up in your customer journey (beyond chat)
• What kind of ecosystems dominate next (hardware-software stacks vs open platforms)
• How new risks emerge (voice data, real-time interaction, ambient capture)

Strategic planning isn’t about reacting to big launches. It’s about seeing them coming — and understanding what they unlock.

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Track how this story plays out — and what it triggers

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Altman and Ive’s announcement is just the start. What happens next will ripple across sectors:

• Will Big Tech counter with their own devices?
• Will B2B applications follow suit — AI copilot terminals, ambient workplace tools?
• Will traditional OEMs jump in, or be disrupted?

With Trendtracker, you don’t just get the news. You get the underlying trend movement, the early signals, and the real-time context as it evolves.

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We help you stay focused not on hype — but on what’s actually shifting.

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Already behind on AI hardware? You don’t have to be.

Our platform picked up on this trend before it hit the front page.

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Now’s your moment to get ahead of what’s next — not just track what’s already public.

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Talk to a Trendtracker strategist Want to explore how AI-native hardware could affect your industry or innovation roadmap?
Let’s talk — book a session with one of our experts.

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