Vision Pro Leader Shifts to OpenAI
Apple Vision Pro Hardware Lead Paul Meade Leaves for OpenAI to Boost AI Device Development
Key Points
Paul Meade’s Apple career spans from joining the company in 2010 as an iPad program manager to leading the Vision Pro hardware group after taking over the Vision Products Group in 2019, with earlier roles on iPad and iPhone programs.
Some reports indicate Vision Pro devices are on hold and that Apple’s smart glasses are unlikely to ship before 2028, signaling delays in flagship hardware as the company refines its wearables strategy.
OpenAI’s hardware division already features Apple alumni such as Jony Ive and other former Apple design leaders, underscoring a broader collaboration on AI devices between the two companies.
Apple’s push into AI wearables is expected to yield a family of AI-powered devices, with Meade’s move placing emphasis on display-free smart glasses that aim for a late-2027 deployment window.
Paul Meade, Apple's vice president in charge of the Vision Products Group and the lead engineer behind the Vision Pro headset, is leaving Apple to join OpenAI's hardware division, Bloomberg reported on June 26. He is expected to start at OpenAI next week, where he will help build a family of AI-powered devices.
Meade's departure is a significant blow for Apple. He spent 16 years at the company and was the chief architect of its most ambitious hardware push in years. At OpenAI, he joins former Apple design chief Jony Ive and a growing roster of Apple hardware veterans, according to Mac Observer.
Meade Built Vision Pro From the Ground Up
Meade joined Apple in 2010 as a manager on the iPad program, according to 9to5Mac. He later moved to the iPhone program and then joined the nascent Vision Products Group in 2017. By 2019, he was running all hardware engineering for the Vision Pro headset. He stayed in that role until now — a seven-year run on Apple's most complex hardware project.
His replacement at Apple will be Fletcher Rothkopf. Rothkopf is one of the founding members of the Vision Pro team and currently leads product design for the headset and Apple's smart glasses efforts, according to TechTimes. The transition is expected to be quick, with Meade gone as early as next week.
Vision Pro Is on Hold, Smart Glasses Delayed Until 2028
Meade's exit comes at a rocky time for Apple's hardware roadmap. A follow-up to the $3,500 Vision Pro headset has reportedly been shelved until at least 2028, according to Apple Must. Apple's display-free smart glasses — the product Meade was most recently focused on — are also unlikely to ship before late 2027 at the earliest.
Inside Apple, the mood has been turbulent. In June 2026, John Ternus replaced Tim Cook as CEO. Johny Srouji was elevated to Chief Hardware Officer and launched a broad restructuring of the hardware division. Benzinga reported that several VPs felt sidelined by the shake-up, triggering a wave of exits. Meade's departure is seen as part of that pattern.
OpenAI Is Quietly Rebuilding Apple's Hardware Dream Team
OpenAI made its biggest hardware move in May 2025, when it acquired Jony Ive's AI startup, io, for $6.5 billion, according to MEXC. Since then, it has recruited aggressively. In a single 30-day window in late 2025, OpenAI hired more than 40 Apple hardware staffers, pulling talent from Apple's audio, watch, and robotics teams.
Meade now joins former Apple executives Tang Tan and Evans Hankey at OpenAI's hardware unit. Sam Altman, OpenAI's CEO, has said the company's first hardware device could add $1 trillion in value to the firm. Meade's arrival signals a shift from the concept phase to active engineering and production, according to TechTimes.
Apple Faces a Widening Gap in AI Wearables Race
The timing puts Apple in a tough spot. Meta already has a strong foothold in the Ray-Ban-style smart glasses market. Apple's primary hardware architect for that category just walked out the door. Without Meade, Apple's late-2027 smart glasses target could slip further, giving Meta more room to grow, according to Mac Observer.
OpenAI, by contrast, is moving faster. Its rumored "Sweetpea" device is described as a screenless, AI-native companion — a new category entirely. Meade's engineering depth, combined with Ive's design vision, gives OpenAI a credible shot at shipping the first truly post-iPhone device, according to Apple Must. Apple's market cap stands at $4.13 trillion — but its hardware pipeline has never looked more vulnerable.
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