OpenAI Sets 2027 Launch for $300-Plus Screenless AI Device

Key Takeaways

OpenAI is developing a portable, doughnut-shaped AI device that will likely cost more than $300, with availability planned for 2027.
The screenless product will combine voice interaction, lights, microphones, and moving components to give it personality.
Apple Inc.’s intellectual property lawsuit could complicate OpenAI’s hardware efforts, although OpenAI denies stealing Apple Inc.’s designs.

OpenAI is preparing to enter consumer hardware with an AI device designed to travel easily around the home. Shaped like a doughnut and roughly the size of a hockey puck, the device will function as a smart speaker without a display, positioned as an AI-first computer that helps users get things done rather than just another voice-controlled home accessory.

According to Bloomberg News, OpenAI expects the product to cost more than $300 and is slating it for release in 2027. A representative for San Francisco-based OpenAI declined to comment on the product plans.

The anticipated price places OpenAI’s product above many conventional smart speakers sold by Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google. The hardware gives OpenAI a chance to stand out in the smart speaker category, positioning the device as a dedicated interface for its AI models.

The device will not feature a display. Instead, speaker grills, microphones, and lights will communicate the device’s status and indicate when it is listening. Moving parts will react during interactions, giving the object a unique look and a sense of personality to make it feel more alive than current static smart speakers.

Current smart speakers commonly use a light or sound to acknowledge commands, but they otherwise remain static. By incorporating physical movement, OpenAI aims to make the AI system feel more attentive and present in the user's environment.

Portability also changes how the product can be used. A device designed to be carried around the home with one hand is less tied to a fixed smart-home role. OpenAI expects people to use it throughout the day to accomplish tasks, backed by the company's advanced models.

Industry observers have closely tracked the company's hardware ambitions, including reported design collaborations with the LoveFrom studio. OpenAI's hardware strategies and related startup acquisitions have been covered by publications including Reuters and The Verge.

The new hardware also gives OpenAI an opportunity to show it is not cribbing from Apple Inc.’s designs. The two companies are currently locked in a legal battle over whether the AI firm stole Apple Inc.'s intellectual property, an allegation that OpenAI strongly denies.

OpenAI has asked a judge to dismiss Apple Inc.'s trade secrets lawsuit. The legal dispute remains a significant backdrop as OpenAI continues pushing ahead with its hardware development plans.

The competitive distinction of a portable, moving device is clear for now. Apple Inc.’s HomePod is not designed for constant mobility, while Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google primarily sell stationary speakers.

This initial release represents a focused opening move into consumer hardware. Success will depend on more than model quality. Practical utility, privacy controls, and everyday reliability will shape whether an AI device priced at more than $300 becomes a new computing category or an expensive smart speaker with extra motion.

Editorial oversight by Rich Tehrani — CEO of TMC and creator of ITEXPO.

Disclosure: Rich Tehrani is also CEO of RT Advisors and a Registered Representative offering securities through Four Points Capital Partners LLC (Member FINRA/SIPC). Nothing in this article is an endorsement or recommendation to buy or sell any security or sector mentioned. RT Advisors may have or have had business relationships with companies mentioned in TMC Insight articles. Such relationships do not affect editorial judgment or coverage.