OpenAI and Jony Ive plan $300 smart speaker for 2027

OpenAI is venturing into consumer hardware with a battery-powered, screenless smart speaker developed in collaboration with designer Jony Ive. According to reports from Bloomberg, the doughnut-shaped device will be roughly the size of a hockey puck and is expected to launch in 2027 with a price tag exceeding $300. This hardware represents the first step in what OpenAI executives describe as a broader family of devices designed to bring their artificial intelligence models into the physical world.

The upcoming gadget will reportedly feature a highly distinct aesthetic that departs entirely from Apple's signature design language. It will include a camera system, various sensors, indicator lights, and unique moving parts that can shift autonomously to signal when the device is listening or responding to a user. Designed to be easily carried around the home with one hand, the portable speaker draws comparisons to Amazon's discontinued Tap speaker but aims for a far more interactive experience.

For AI practitioners and developers, this hardware push signals a shift from purely cloud-based software applications to tightly integrated edge ecosystems. The device is expected to run advanced models that build upon the capabilities of the current ChatGPT voice mode, offering heightened levels of humanlike interactivity. This transition means developers may soon need to optimize conversational agents for multimodal inputs, combining voice, camera feeds, and physical sensor data while operating within the constraints of a portable, battery-powered device. It also establishes a new hardware benchmark for ambient computing, challenging the dominance of traditional smart assistants.