OpenAI is developing a donut-shaped AI smart speaker priced between $300 and $400 for release in 2027, designed in partnership with Jony Ive's design studio LoveFrom.
The device is more expensive than most competing smart speakers and will include mysterious moving parts, though smart speakers have historically been a challenging market for profitability.
What happened
OpenAI is developing a donut-shaped AI smart speaker priced between $300 and $400, designed to be carried around the home and placed on surfaces like bedside tables or kitchen counters. The device, built from high-quality metal with moving parts, is being developed in partnership with LoveFrom, the design studio founded by former Apple developer Jony Ive, and is expected to release sometime in 2027.
Why it matters
Smart speakers have not historically been profitable, and OpenAI's premium price point—significantly higher than Amazon's smart speakers, which range from $40 to $240—makes entering this competitive market a risky bet. The device represents OpenAI's broader strategy to deepen ChatGPT's integration into users' daily lives through hardware.
What to watch
OpenAI faces a legal challenge from Apple, which has sued the company for allegedly stealing trade secrets (OpenAI denies wrongdoing). The 2027 release window and the unspecified function of the device's moving parts remain key unknowns.
OpenAI is developing a new hardware device—a donut-shaped AI smart speaker—that the company intends as the "physical manifestation" of ChatGPT, according to reporting by Bloomberg. The device will be constructed from high-quality metal, feature a premium design, and include distinct moving parts, though the function of those moving parts remains undisclosed. It is designed to be portable, allowing users to carry it around their home and position it on surfaces like bedside tables or kitchen counters.
The device is priced between $300 and $400 per unit, a significant premium compared to Amazon's existing smart speaker lineup, which ranges from $40 on the low end to $240 on the high end. OpenAI is developing the hardware in partnership with LoveFrom, the design studio founded by Jony Ive, the renowned former Apple developer. The company expects to release the device sometime in 2027.
The move into hardware carries both strategic logic and material risk. Integrating ChatGPT further into users' homes through a smart speaker device expands the company's footprint in daily life; however, the article notes that smart speakers have historically not been profitable, and the premium price point may compound difficulties in capturing market share. OpenAI's hardware ambitions are also shadowed by litigation: Apple has sued the company, alleging theft of trade secrets. OpenAI has denied the allegations.
OpenAI's move into hardware represents a calculated expansion beyond software. The partnership with Jony Ive's LoveFrom signals the company's intention to create a premium, design-led product rather than a commodity device—a bet that premium positioning and integration with ChatGPT will justify a price point two to four times higher than most competing smart speakers. The donut shape and portability reflect a product philosophy centered on everyday integration, allowing users to move the speaker from room to room.
The timing and economics pose significant headwinds. Historically, smart speakers have struggled to achieve profitability despite mass adoption, and the article notes that OpenAI's higher price point may compound this challenge. Complicating the picture is an ongoing legal dispute with Apple, which has accused OpenAI of stealing trade secrets; OpenAI has denied the allegation. The resolution of this litigation could affect both the device's development timeline and its market reception.
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