It’s been more than a year since OpenAI announced its alliance with former Apple designer Jony Ive to build a device that would challenge smartphones. Now, a new report suggests the company may try to put an end to the iPhone 18 with a new type of smart speaker.
OpenAI’s device could be a speaker the size of a hockey puck
The first hardware product that OpenAI is developing could be “essentially a smart speaker without a display,” according to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The device is the size of a hockey puck, but has the shape of a doughnut, making it easy to carry around with one hand.
Unlike other speakers, this one will feature a reportedly unique design with moving parts. Their idea will be to give it personality by showing when the AI is responding and to make it feel more alive than the stationary speakers we’re used to.
This will be a rather advanced speaker thanks to a camera system and a set of sensors to help the AI perceive the surrounding environment. Like other speakers, this one will also have microphones and indicator lights. Unlike other home speakers, this one will have batteries and a design that should help it work in a user’s hand or placed around the home.
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Would you consider buying an OpenAI smart speaker?
An expensive part of a larger ecosystem
Apple's HomePod, like most home speakers, doesn't move around. | Image by PhoneArena
The OpenAI doughnut speaker, planned to release in 2027, could be the first in a line of AI-powered devices from the AI lab. The goal of the company is said to be to build a device business, and eventually offer the coveted smartphone killer.
That could be made a little more difficult by the rumored price of the upcoming speaker, which could end up between $300 and $400. While far from the $799 Apple charges for an iPhone 17, that would be more expensive than most portable speakers.
Despite OpenAI’s ambitions, users may not be very keen on a voice-only device, at least judging by the reaction the speaker has been gathering on Reddit. Among the jokes that Jony Ive is reinventing Alexa, users are expressing worries about their privacy and just not wanting to talk to a device all the time.
Voice computing is not as popular as OpenAI may like it. | Image by Reddit (screenshot
Good luck with that
The idea of an AI-powered speaker that I can move around the house is not bad at all, especially if the audio quality is good for playing music. However, I can’t imagine trusting OpenAI enough to let one of its devices listen to everything that happens in my home.
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Ilia, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been covering the mobile industry since 2011, with experience at outlets like Forbes Bulgaria. Passionate about smartphones, tablets, and consumer tech, he blends deep industry knowledge with a personal fascination that began with his first Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Lima, Peru, Ilia balances his tech obsessions with walking his dog, training at the gym, and slowly mastering Spanish.
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