Archive · 7 Aug 2026
OpenAI's doughnut-shaped AI smart speaker could launch in 2027
OpenAI makes computer programs that can talk and help people, like ChatGPT.
Now, OpenAI wants to make a small machine you can talk to, like a magic helper.
The machine might be shaped like a donut and look like a little speaker.
You could carry it from room to room because it has a battery.
It might have a tiny camera so it can see things around it.
It could cost between three hundred and four hundred dollars, which is a lot of money for a speaker.
A famous designer named Jony Ive is helping make it look nice.
Some people say it might come out in 2027, but nobody knows for sure yet.
Another big company, Apple, is upset and says OpenAI copied its secret ideas, but OpenAI says that is not true.
Bloomberg reports OpenAI's first consumer hardware is a doughnut-shaped, screenless AI smart speaker roughly the size of a hockey puck.
The battery-powered device features a camera, sensors, microphones, moving parts and a listening light, and is designed to be carried around the home.
Reports suggest pricing between $300 and $400 and a possible 2027 launch, though OpenAI has not confirmed specifications, pricing or a timeline.
The device is being designed with LoveFrom, the studio founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive, whose hardware startup OpenAI acquired earlier this year.
Apple has sued OpenAI over alleged hardware trade-secret misappropriation; OpenAI denies the claims and filed a motion to dismiss on August 5.
- Who
- OpenAI, working with LoveFrom, the design studio founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive.
- What
- Reportedly developing its first consumer hardware device: a portable, battery-powered, doughnut-shaped AI smart speaker with a camera, sensors and a premium metal design.
- When
- Reports suggest a possible launch in 2027; OpenAI has not confirmed a timeline.
- Where
- No launch location has been announced; the device is designed for use throughout the home.
- Why
- OpenAI aims to expand beyond software with an always-available, personalized AI assistant that adapts to users' habits.
Apple / Consumer Skeptics
OpenAI
Trade secrets lawsuit
Apple / Consumer Skeptics
Apple sued OpenAI, alleging the company misled an Apple supplier into developing a metal-finishing technique similar to Apple's and misappropriated hardware-related trade secrets, requesting an injunction that could delay the product's launch.
OpenAI
OpenAI denies the allegations, says it is building something 'entirely new and different from any Apple product,' and its internal investigation concluded the device does not draw on Apple's trade secrets.
Premium pricing for an AI speaker
Apple / Consumer Skeptics
Smart speakers have historically struggled to become consistently profitable products, and a $300-$400 price tag may exceed what consumers are willing to pay.
OpenAI
A premium AI-first home device with always-available, personalized capabilities could justify its higher cost.
- Reported device
- Doughnut-shaped, screenless AI smart speaker with camera and sensors
- Reported price
- $300-$400 (some reports cite around $300)
- Reported launch window
- 2027 (unconfirmed)
- Design partner
- LoveFrom, founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive
- Reported size
- Roughly the size of a hockey puck / Amazon's second-generation Echo Dot
- Design details
- Premium metal chassis, moving parts, microphones, speaker grilles and listening light
- Legal dispute
- Apple sued OpenAI over alleged trade secrets; OpenAI denies the claims and filed a motion to dismiss on August 5
- Other hardware
- Codex Micro keypad, launched last month with accessory maker Work Louder
Sources
OpenAI may launch its first AI smart speaker in 2027, could cost up to $400
What Is OpenAI's First-Ever Hardware Device? A Doughnut-Shaped Speaker That Costs Over $300
Design and price details leaked for OpenAI's secret ChatGPT device ahead of launch
