OpenAI’s Smart Speaker to Cost Over $300: Report

OpenAI’s first consumer hardware product will reportedly be a portable, doughnut-shaped smart speaker priced between $300 and $400, marking the company’s first step into dedicated AI devices following its acquisition of Jony Ive's startup io. 

According to a Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter, the battery-powered device is expected to launch in 2027 and is designed as an “AI-first computer” that users can carry around the home.

The device is said to be roughly the size of a hockey puck and will not include a display. Instead, it will rely on voice interactions similar to ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode, paired with more capable conversational models designed to make interactions feel more human. 

Bloomberg reported that the hardware will include speaker grills, microphones, cameras, and environmental sensors, allowing it to perceive its surroundings and personalise responses over time. Lights will indicate when it is listening, while mechanical moving parts are intended to make the device appear more expressive during conversations.

The product has been designed in collaboration with Jony Ive’s LoveFrom studio and is expected to use premium materials, including metal construction. 

OpenAI reportedly sees the speaker as the first product in a broader hardware family that could eventually reduce users' reliance on smartphones. The company apparently opted for a smart speaker first because always-on wearable devices such as smart glasses continue to face privacy concerns.

The development comes as OpenAI and Apple remain locked in an escalating trade secrets dispute over OpenAI’s consumer hardware programme. Apple alleges that former employees transferred confidential hardware knowledge to accelerate OpenAI’s device development and has sought a preliminary injunction and expedited discovery. OpenAI has rejected the allegations, arguing its hardware is “entirely new and different” and has asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit, describing Apple’s claims as baseless.

OpenAI formally entered consumer hardware last May when it agreed to acquire Jony Ive’s AI hardware startup io in a deal valued at approximately $6.5 billion, bringing the startup’s engineering team into OpenAI while Ive assumed broader design responsibilities across the company's hardware efforts. 

The company completed the merger last July and has since positioned hardware as a long-term strategic initiative alongside its AI models.