OpenAI unveils $300-$400 smart speaker designed by Jony Ive, launching in 2027

OpenAI's new AI smart speaker will reportedly sell for between $300-$400

More details continue to trickle out about OpenAI's mysterious new hardware device -- described previously as an AI-fueled smart speaker that will be the "physical manifestation" of ChatGPT. Bloomberg now reports that the device will be "donut-shaped," designed thusly to allow users to carry it around their home and place it in different locations, like a bedside table or a kitchen counter. It will be constructed from "high-quality metal," have a "premium look," and (in a detail that mystifies) will have distinct "moving parts," sources told Bloomberg. It also could be slightly more expensive than your average smart speaker, perhaps $300 to $400 per unit, according to this report. For comparison, most of Amazon's smart home speakers range in price from $40 on the low end to $240 on the high end. So, to sum up: an expensive talking AI donut that has ... moving parts? OpenAI releasing a smart home device has a certain logic to it, in that it would further integrate ChatGPT into users' lives. However, historically speaking, smart speakers have not always been profitable and may prove a difficult market to break into. The potentially high price point also might not help. The device, which is being developed in partnership with LoveFrom, the design studio founded by famous former Apple developer Jony Ive, will likely be released at some point in 2027, Bloomberg writes. The company's attempt to enter the hardware market has not gone off without a hitch. OpenAI is being sued by the current king of hardware, Apple, which has accused the AI lab of stealing trade secrets. OpenAI has denied wrongdoing.

Jony Ive's first OpenAI gadget is reportedly a hockey puck-sized smart speaker

The AI device OpenAI is developing with former Apple designer Jony Ive is "essentially a smart speaker without a display" that's battery-powered, doughnut-shaped and roughly the size of a hockey puck, according to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman. The device, expected to launch in 2027 for a price over $300, reportedly "will have a unique look, complete with moving parts," including some that will move on their own to show when the device is responding or interacting with the user, along with lights, a camera system, and other sensors. Gurman's sources also say the "battery-powered" device is designed to be "easy to carry around the home with one hand,"similar to Amazon's now-discontinued Tap speaker. Gurman says it will "work similarly to the company's ChatGPT voice mode on smartphone apps, but with more advanced models for humanlike interactivity" but look and feel nothing like an Apple product -- despite their ongoing lawsuit. The speaker / pocket personal assistant could be the first in a "family of devices" OpenAI has planned, but we'll probably hear a lot more about all of them before it eventually arrives.

OpenAI's ring-shaped smart speaker will reportedly cost between $300 and $400 - Engadget

It would be an ambitiously high price for the AI-powered hardware pivot. We typically expect Mark Gurman at Bloomberg to have the latest tips on Apple tech, but today he's sharing info about OpenAI's planned move into hardware. After reporting a wave of details last month about the smart speaker in development at the AI company, today he's got additional insights about the device. Sources told Gurman that the product would have a ring-shaped design about the size of a hockey puck. The form factor is meant to be battery-powered and portable, so a user could easily carry it around with them. It reportedly has components that will be able to move on their own, which seem intended to make the product more lifelike and engaging. Although this inaugural piece of hardware does not appear to be equipped with a screen, it will have a camera system and sensors to monitor the environment. As one might expect after OpenAI shelled out $6.5 billion for Jony Ive-helmed startup io to spark this hardware pivot, the price point reportedly being discussed is high. Sources told Gurman that the OpenAI device might retail for $300 to $400. That's notably more than most other smart speakers on the market, even high-end ones. We already foresaw this hardware experiment potentially becoming an expensive side quest that ultimately fails if consumers aren't willing to pay whatever price the company does eventually set. Having a chance to gauge buyers' reactions to this rumored price before the anticipated launch in 2027 could see OpenAI attempt to revise its cost plans.

OpenAI's ChatGPT Speaker Will Be Hockey Puck-Sized and Cost Over $300

OpenAI's upcoming AI device is a hockey-puck-sized, doughnut-shaped smart speaker with no display, reports Bloomberg. The product is meant to be easy to carry around with one hand, and it will have "moving parts that help give it personality," along with a price tag around $300 to $400. Bloomberg describes it as an AI-centric device that will stand out from current smart speakers. There are speaker grilles and microphones for voice-based chats with ChatGPT, and the AI model used will have human-like responses and will learn more about the user over time. Moving components will help show when the speaker is responding, and lights will show that it is listening. A camera system and sensors will feed the product information about the user's environment. It is battery-powered so it can be moved from room to room, and it will reportedly use a premium metal material. In its theft of trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI, Apple claimed the company misled an Apple supplier into developing a metal finishing technique similar to what Apple uses. Former Apple design chief Jony Ive is designing the device for OpenAI. OpenAI acquired Ive's io device startup last year, adding multiple former Apple design team members to its hardware teams. Bloomberg says the portable speaker "is not something Apple has come close to launching," which supports OpenAI's claim that it has no interest in Apple's trade secrets. OpenAI said today that it is "building something entirely new and different from anything at Apple." Apple maintains OpenAI has developed its hardware using information sourced from Apple. Apple is working on a home hub that's supposed to come out as soon as this year, but it has a display and square form factor. Apple also has the HomePod mini speaker, but it is corded and not easily moved. Apple is also developing a tabletop robot that may share more similarities with OpenAI's device. It's said to have a display and a motorized arm for movement, but the robot isn't going to launch until 2027 at the earliest. OpenAI has not stopped development on its new hardware product, and hopes to introduce it later this year ahead of a 2027 launch.

OpenAI's first gadget sounds like a tiny robot for your home

For months, reports have suggested that OpenAI's first hardware product would be a screen-free smart speaker designed to act more like an AI companion. We already knew it could understand its surroundings, be carried around the home, and proactively help users. A new Bloomberg report now gives us a clearer picture of what the device may actually look like. As per the report, OpenAI's first gadget will be shaped like a doughnut and measure about the same size as a hockey puck. You will be able to carry it between rooms or leave it nearby on whatever surface is convenient. The device is expected to be on the expensive side, as the company has pondered pricing it around $300 to $400. A release is currently planned for 2027. A smart speaker you are meant to carry around Previous reports suggested that the device could control smart-home appliances, play media, answer questions, respond to messages, and use ChatGPT to help throughout the day. Voice will serve as the main interface, but the device will also have a camera and environmental sensors. Those additions could let the AI understand what is happening around it instead of relying entirely on spoken instructions. Apple is exploring a similar concept for future AirPods, which could use built-in cameras to understand the wearer's surroundings. OpenAI also expects it to become more familiar with its owner over time. Conversations could change according to a person's routines, preferences, and past interactions, allowing the assistant to offer help before someone reaches for a phone or types a prompt. Of course, the device will have access to advanced models for human-like conversations. OpenAI has already made considerable progress in this area through the recent introduction of ChatGPT Live. Its body could become part of the interface Microphones and speakers will handle conversations, while lights will show when the AI is listening or responding. Parts of the device will also move during interactions, giving it the presence of a small robot rather than a speaker sitting passively in the room. The comparison that comes to mind is WALL-E or R2-D2. Their movements and reactions make them feel alive, aware, and emotionally present. OpenAI seems to be pursuing a similar effect by giving ChatGPT a physical form and an expressive personality. I still have questions about how all of this will work in practice. A moving, doughnut-shaped AI companion could easily feel gimmicky if the design or motion is even slightly off. OpenAI is collaborating with legendary former Apple design chief Jony Ive and his LoveFrom studio on the device, which gives me some confidence that the final execution will feel polished rather than toy-like. Recommended Videos OpenAI president Greg Brockman has already confirmed that the company is building a family of devices, and this small companion could be the first to give ChatGPT a physical presence in users' homes.