OpenAI is building a battery-powered smart speaker with Jony Ive that looks like a doughnut-shaped hockey puck and will cost over $300 when it launches in 2027.
The device will feature moving parts to indicate when it is responding to users, along with a camera and sensors, and will deliver ChatGPT-style voice interaction with more advanced models for natural conversation.
It may be the first of several devices OpenAI is planning.
What happened
OpenAI is developing a battery-powered smart speaker with former Apple designer Jony Ive, doughnut-shaped and roughly the size of a hockey puck, expected to launch in 2027 for a price over $300. The device will have moving parts that show when it is responding, lights, a camera system, and sensors.
Why it matters
The device works like ChatGPT's voice mode but with more advanced models for humanlike interactivity, and is designed to be portable and easy to carry around the home with one hand—positioning it as a pocket personal assistant rather than a stationary smart home hub.
What to watch
This may be the first in a family of devices OpenAI has planned, though more details are expected before the device arrives in 2027.
OpenAI is developing a battery-powered smart speaker in partnership with Jony Ive, Apple's former design chief. According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, the device is doughnut-shaped and roughly the size of a hockey puck—described as a smart speaker without a display. The device will have a distinctive appearance with moving parts that will move on their own to show when the device is responding or interacting with the user. It will also include lights, a camera system, and other sensors. The device is designed to be easy to carry around the home with one hand, similar to Amazon's now-discontinued Tap speaker. It will work like ChatGPT's voice mode on smartphone apps but with more advanced models for humanlike interactivity. Despite OpenAI and Apple's ongoing lawsuit, Gurman notes that the speaker will look and feel nothing like an Apple product. The device is expected to launch in 2027 for a price over $300. Gurman's sources indicate this could be the first in a family of devices OpenAI has planned, though more details are expected before it eventually arrives.
OpenAI's collaboration with Jony Ive marks the company's entry into hardware design, departing from its software-focused identity. The smart speaker represents a strategic shift toward physical devices that can deliver AI interaction beyond a smartphone screen—a move that mirrors Apple's historical emphasis on device design and user experience, even as OpenAI and Apple face ongoing legal disputes. The device's portability and battery-powered design signal an intent to compete in the personal assistant category, positioning it closer to Amazon's discontinued Tap speaker than to stationary smart home hubs. Bloomberg's reporting indicates this is envisioned as the first in a family of devices, suggesting OpenAI is planning a broader hardware ecosystem rather than a one-off product.
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