OpenAI’s reported AI speaker could cost $300 to $400

OpenAI’s first consumer hardware product is taking shape as an unusually expensive smart speaker, according to a new TechCrunch report. The device is reportedly being developed with LoveFrom, the design studio founded by former Apple designer Jony Ive, and could cost between $300 and $400. OpenAI has not announced the product or confirmed the price, so these details should be read as reporting about a project in development, not a launch specification.

The report cites new information from Bloomberg describing a doughnut-shaped device roughly the size of a hockey puck. It would have no display and could be carried around the home, placed on a bedside table or kitchen counter. Sources say the enclosure will use high-quality metal and have a premium look. The most unusual detail is that the device would include moving parts intended to give it a more expressive, responsive presence.

The idea is to make ChatGPT physical. Instead of opening an app, a user could speak to an assistant that is always nearby and moves with them through the home. That could make voice interaction more natural for music, news, reminders and questions. It also raises difficult questions about ambient microphones, personal context and how much initiative an AI companion should take. A screenless design may reduce visual distraction, but it also makes confirmation and privacy cues harder to see.

The price would put OpenAI far above mainstream smart speakers. TechCrunch notes that Amazon’s speakers typically range from about $40 to $240. A $300-to-$400 device would need to offer something more valuable than better voice answers: it would have to justify a new category built around personality, mobility and deeper integration with ChatGPT. The business model remains unclear.

The timing is equally uncertain. Bloomberg reports that the product could arrive in 2027, but OpenAI has not committed to a release date or final design. Hardware projects often change substantially before launch, and the partnership comes while Apple is suing OpenAI over alleged trade-secret theft, allegations OpenAI denies.

For users and makers, the signal is important even before a product exists. OpenAI is trying to move AI from a screen into the physical environment. The challenge is not only industrial design; it is trust. A successful device will need useful interaction, clear controls, strong privacy defaults and a reason to exist beside the smartphone already in every room.