OpenAI‘s screenless smart speaker will reportedly be shaped “like a doughnut” and carry a price tag in the ballpark of $300. Bloomberg revealed new details about OpenAI’s upcoming hardware device on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
According to Bloomberg’s report, OpenAI’s AI-powered smart speaker will have a doughnut-like form factor and be comparable in size to a hockey puck, a design apparently intended to make it easily portable in one hand. This is in line with a previous report from The Wall Street Journal that users would be able to carry the device in their pocket.
The speaker will reportedly have a metal design as well, giving it a “premium look.” Last May, OpenAI announced that it had acquired iPhone designer Jony Ive’s startup io, signalling that the AI company was moving into hardware. Now Bloomberg reports that OpenAI’s smart speaker will “use upscale materials like high-quality metal,” likely hoping to emulate the success of Apple‘s distinct product design.
OpenAI has not officially announced its smart speaker yet, much less revealed a price tag. However, Bloomberg’s sources state that the company is looking at placing it around the $300 to $400 mark.
A previous Bloomberg report last month revealed that OpenAI’s smart speaker will have moving mechanical parts which respond to users, aimed at making the device seem more lifelike and personable. It will also actively monitor users and learn about them, using microphones, a camera system, and other sensors, as well as through methods such as accessing their emails. A light will indicate when the device is listening to its environment.
Data gathered by the speaker will then be fed to its AI algorithm, ostensibly so that it can give users more personalised service and offer assistance without prompting. Bloomberg reports that the smart speaker will essentially operate as a more advanced version of voice mode in OpenAI’s ChatGPT app.
Last year, the Journal reported that OpenAI hopes to ship 100 million of these devices, with the aim of making them as ubiquitous as smartphones.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
Source: https://mashable.com/tech/openai-smart-speaker-form-factor-pricing-report
