OpenAI is developing its first consumer hardware, a high-priced, moveable, and design-forward smart speaker expected to cost over $300, positioning itself as a potential smartphone replacement with ChatGPT-style AI interactions and premium materials.
OpenAI’s first consumer hardware product is shaping up as a premium smart speaker that could cost well above $300, according to Bloomberg, which cited people familiar with the matter. The publication said the company has discussed pricing the device at as much as $400, a level that would place it far above most mainstream voice assistants and signal a more ambitious pitch for the product.
The speaker is being positioned less as a simple home accessory and more as a potential substitute for a smartphone, Bloomberg reported. It is expected to rely on a ChatGPT-style voice experience, but with more capable models intended to make interactions feel more natural and useful. The device is also said to control smart-home equipment, extending beyond basic tasks such as checking the weather or setting timers.
Design details point to a deliberate effort to make the product feel less static than current smart speakers. Bloomberg said the device is expected to be roughly puck-sized and doughnut-shaped, with parts that move during responses and lights that show when it is listening. The hardware is reportedly being built with LoveFrom, the design studio founded by Jony Ive, and is said to use premium materials including metal.
The device’s development has also drawn legal scrutiny. Apple is suing OpenAI over alleged theft of trade secrets tied to hardware work, and Bloomberg reported that OpenAI reviewed the speaker internally after the complaint and concluded that it does not use Apple intellectual property. Earlier reports from MacRumors, The Los Angeles Times and other outlets had suggested a lower price range of $200 to $300 and a launch window in early 2027, showing that the product remains in active development and that details may still change before release.
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