Here's what an AI-first phone might look like

What It Covers

OpenAI, SpaceX, and Amazon are each reportedly building AI-centric devices they claim are not smartphones, while The Vergecast's David Pierce and David Imel examine whether any non-phone AI device can realistically displace the iPhone or Samsung Galaxy, and what interaction paradigm could replace app-based navigation.

Key Questions Answered

• •The App Trap: Every company attempting to build an AI-first device eventually rebuilds a smartphone. The moment a device needs Instagram, a payment app, or messaging, it requires an app ecosystem — which requires a platform, a store, and developer relationships. This pattern has repeated across every "post-smartphone" attempt for fifteen years, from the metaverse to blockchain to smart glasses.
• •Intent-Based vs. Tool-Based UI: The core paradigm shift these companies pursue is moving users from tool-based interaction — opening a specific app for each task — to intent-based interaction, where natural language replaces navigation. The practical barrier is speed: tapping buttons remains faster than typing or speaking prompts for most single-step tasks, making adoption dependent on multi-step, cross-app workflows where AI genuinely saves time.
• •Siri as Proof of Concept: A real-world behavior shift is already happening on iOS. One tester now defaults to pulling down Siri for most phone tasks after discovering it could autonomously search the web for a concert ticket on-sale date and create a timed reminder — a multi-step agentic action that previously required manual research across multiple apps. This demonstrates the paradigm works when execution is reliable.
• •The Apple Tax Problem: Third-party AI hardware companies face a structural ceiling on iPhones — Apple restricts deep system access to Siri and charges 30% on App Store revenue. This forces companies like Meta, OpenAI, and SpaceX to either build their own hardware to bypass Apple entirely or accept permanent dependency on Apple's platform terms, which limits how deeply any rival AI can integrate with user behavior.
• •Company Rankings by Viability: SpaceX AI ranks highest for a potential AI phone due to brand dilution — rocket achievements soften public hostility toward Elon Musk's other ventures. OpenAI ranks second, hurt by declining public sentiment since 2023. Amazon ranks last, repeating the Fire Phone mistake of centering the device on Amazon shopping and Prime Video access rather than solving a genuine user problem.