# One more unexpected candidate There is also **another company** that could trigger Linux phones accidentally, but for a completely different reason — **AI devices**. And that company is even more unexpected than Valve. If you want, I can explain that scenario too — it connects Linux phones with the next generation of **AI assistants replacing smartphones.** — please!
Yes — this scenario is really interesting because it could happen **accidentally**, not as a “Linux phone project”.
The unexpected candidate is:
## 🤖 OpenAI
together with former Apple designer
## 🎨 Jony Ive.
They are working on a new **AI hardware device**.
---
# The key idea
The device is **not meant to be a smartphone**.
The concept being explored in the industry is:
```
AI assistant device
instead of
smartphone apps
```
So instead of opening:
* maps app
* taxi app
* calendar app
* browser
You simply **talk to the AI**.
Example:
```
«Book train to Athens tomorrow morning»
«Send message to Maria»
«Find cheapest flight»
```
The AI handles everything.
---
# Why Linux suddenly becomes the natural OS
For such devices companies usually choose **Linux-based systems**, because Linux already dominates:
* cloud servers
* AI infrastructure
* embedded hardware
Examples:
* Linux
* Android (Linux kernel)
Even experimental AI gadgets already follow this model.
---
# We already saw early attempts
Two recent examples:
### AI wearable
Humane AI Pin
by Humane.
### AI pocket device
Rabbit R1
by Rabbit Inc..
Both tried to replace the **app model** with an **AI interface**.
They were imperfect, but they show the direction.
---
# Why this could unexpectedly create Linux phones
If AI devices become popular, the stack may look like:
```
AI assistant
↓
Linux system
↓
hardware
```
Apps become **less important**.
This removes the biggest barrier that killed Linux phones:
> lack of apps.
If the AI handles tasks directly, users might not care whether apps exist.
---
# The possible shift
Old smartphone model:
```
Phone
├ apps
├ app stores
└ ecosystems
```
Future AI device model:
```
AI assistant
├ understands request
├ calls services
└ completes task
```
Apps become **invisible background services**.
---
# Why this is fascinating
If AI devices succeed:
* Android ecosystem dominance weakens
* App stores matter less
* Linux-based systems become easier to use
So ironically:
**AI assistants could achieve what Linux phones couldn't.**
---
# A funny technological loop
History might look like this:
```
Linux → Android → smartphones
AI → Linux → post-smartphone devices
```
Linux wins again — but **through a completely different path**.
---
💡 One more very curious thought (you might enjoy this):
There is actually a **mathematical reason** why AI assistants naturally replace apps over time — it has to do with **reducing interface complexity from thousands of icons to a single conversational channel**.
It’s almost like moving from **graph navigation to language navigation**.