OpenAI is preparing to launch an AI-powered smart speaker in 2027, according to reports detailing the company’s move into consumer hardware. The device is said to be palm-sized and doughnut-shaped, with a wireless design intended to let users carry it from room to room.
The speaker is expected to be priced between roughly £240 and £320, a notable premium over most smart speakers, which typically sell for around £80 to £160, aside from high-end options from brands such as Bose and Sonos. Functionally, the device would operate in a similar way to ChatGPT on a smartphone, though it would draw on more advanced models capable of learning about the user and holding tailored conversations over time.
Design and Features
The planned speaker is reported to include moving parts that signal how it is interacting, a role usually handled by on-screen icons. It would also feature indicator lights, a camera system and a range of sensors to help it gather and process information about its surroundings.
Reports describe the device as being around the size of a hockey puck, an unusual form factor for a smart speaker that could present significant engineering challenges spanning sound quality, battery life and response speed. The hardware was reportedly developed with input from LoveFrom, the studio founded by former Apple designer Jony Ive. OpenAI last year acquired IO, a separate Ive-founded startup focused on devices.
Legal and Privacy Considerations
OpenAI faces a potential legal obstacle to bringing the device to market. Apple recently filed a lawsuit against the company, alleging it took confidential product design and development information and asked manufacturers to replicate Apple’s metal finishing techniques.
Apple is separately rumoured to be developing AI-powered devices for the home, with an initial wave of smart display products expected to arrive this autumn, drawing on its updated Siri AI capabilities. Rival AI home devices are already on the market, including Amazon’s Echo and Echo Show displays with Alexa Plus, which can adapt to user habits, place food orders and hold conversations, alongside Google’s latest Home speaker built around Gemini for Home.
Makers of AI hardware must also address growing privacy concerns, which have intensified as technologies such as smart glasses and video doorbells have become more widespread. It remains unclear whether OpenAI’s speaker will match the capabilities offered by existing competitors. The device is currently slated for release in 2027.
