On Nov. 3, 2026, OpenAI described a Codex test device designed for people to speak with Codex. Two team members worked with Astra on the design in less than a week, and a contract manufacturer produced a small batch of prototypes in less than a month, according to OpenAI’s announcement.
Why the design needed engineering review
OpenAI said the design needed several rounds of engineering review and iteration before manufacturing. Astra’s designs did not always account for production constraints, tolerances, or assembly details. Tolerances are the permitted variations in a part’s dimensions; they help determine whether components fit together as intended.
That review was part of the path from a model-assisted design to a small prototype batch. A design can look complete on screen and still need changes before a manufacturer can assemble it.
A fast design sprint can shorten the path to a prototype; manufacturing still tests whether the design fits production requirements.
OpenAI’s announcement credits two models with PCB design
OpenAI’s written account gives conflicting attributions for the printed circuit board, or PCB. Its summary says GPT-6 helped design the board; a detailed section about Astra says Astra designed it. The account also credits GPT-6 with defining functional requirements and helping with the enclosure and software integrations. It assigns Astra work on the device’s appearance, mechanical structures, component selection, interface, firmware, and software integrations.
The announcement does not settle which model handled the PCB design. For broader context, see NeoTeo’s earlier coverage of GPT-6 Astra’s computer-use launch.
A separate Codex workflow on Pixel Watch 5
One Reddit user reports using Codex to create Java apps and deploy them wirelessly to an existing Pixel Watch 5. The user’s example is a widget displaying a gym-card barcode. That account concerns a separate smartwatch workflow, not OpenAI’s test device. Read the user’s post.
