Apple's lawsuit shows the importance of AI devices for the iPhone maker's future: Analyst

Apple's lawsuit shows the importance of AI devices for the iPhone maker's future: Analyst Daniel Howley · Technology Editor Updated Wed, July 15, 2026 at 4:42 PM GMT+2 2 min read AAPL Apple's ( AAPL ) lawsuit alleging that OpenAI (OPAI. PVT) stole trade secrets from the iPhone maker includes a number of major claims , ranging from OpenAI employees stealing sensitive files from Apple to an effort by employees to gain access to physical hardware. The suit, which Apple filed on Friday, specifically names OpenAI, OpenAI's hardware chief, and former Apple VP of product design, Tang Tan, as well as former Apple electrical engineer and OpenAI employee Chang Liu, for taking part in the scheme.

Apple, however, is also suing io Products, an AI hardware firm acquired by OpenAI and founded by Tan, as well as famed former Apple design chief Jony Ive, who was not named in the lawsuit. In a statement, an OpenAI spokesperson told Yahoo Finance, "We have no interest in other companies' trade secrets. We remain focused on building innovative technology that empowers people everywhere.

" According to Deepwater Asset Management managing partner Gene Munster, that Apple is going after io Products, a company stacked with high-level former employees, shows just how serious the lawsuit is to the tech giant. "It's important to note that IP theft is common in tech, to a level that these tech companies could be in perpetual lawsuits," Munster wrote in an investor note. "In my perspective, the fact that Apple is going this hard after Tan underscores more than retaliation.

It signals a belief that Apple sees a future where it's important for the iPhone to leverage new AI devices," he wrote. "The most obvious for Apple is AirPods with cameras. The point is, it appears Apple's AI hardware roadmap won't be exclusively based on the iPhone," he added.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman , Apple is developing its own AI-powered hardware devices including a pair of AirPods outfitted with cameras that can see the world around them. Ensuring that it can hold onto its lead in the consumer hardware space is paramount for Apple as the broader tech industry begins transitions to AI-based products ranging from pins and pendants to smart glasses. OpenAI's hardware, however, is still in the development stage and, as Munster puts it, not nearly as important to the company as its work on its Codex software.

"This year, OpenAI has been successful at prioritizing Codex to gain share from Claude Code," Munster wrote. "While OpenAI's valuation lags Anthropic's latest round, its valuation in the next 1-2 years will be driven by the success of Codex, not any hardware product. " Still, if OpenAI successfully launches a popular hardware device, it could serve as a means of keeping customers hooked on its services for the long run, ensuring a strong users base for years.

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