OpenAI may enter consumer hardware with a portable smart speaker that has no display—but does have a camera, sensors, and parts designed to move on their own.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that the unannounced product is being developed as a humanlike AI companion for the home. OpenAI reportedly aims to reveal it in 2026 and release it in 2027, although Apple’s lawsuit could change that schedule.
It is meant to be more than ChatGPT in a speaker
The product may look like a speaker, but OpenAI reportedly describes it internally as a new type of computer built around AI. A rechargeable battery would let users move it between rooms, while a camera and other sensors would help it understand what is happening nearby.
The speaker is expected to answer questions, play media, respond to messages, and control smart-home devices. Bloomberg says it would use GPT-Live for natural voice conversations and learn from a user’s habits and personal context over time, with the goal of becoming more personalized and proactive.
Its strangest reported feature is movement. The device is said to have mechanical elements that move on their own so it feels less like a static appliance. The report does not explain what those parts look like or how much the speaker can move.
OpenAI has not announced a final design, price, privacy controls, or an exact release date. Those missing details matter for a home device built around a camera, microphones, and personal data.
Jony Ive’s team is shaping the hardware
The project grew from OpenAI’s $6.5 billion acquisition of io Products, the hardware startup co-founded by former Apple design chief Jony Ive. OpenAI’s hardware hiring push has also brought in a large group of former Apple designers and engineers.
Bloomberg says the speaker is one of roughly five products being explored. The longer-term roadmap reportedly includes wearables, home robotics, and an AI device that could eventually replace the smartphone. None of those products has been formally announced.
Apple’s lawsuit puts the 2027 timing at risk
The new details arrive days after Apple accused OpenAI of using trade secrets taken by former employees to build its hardware business. OpenAI denies relying on other companies’ confidential information, and Apple’s claims have not been proven in court.
Apple is seeking an injunction that could restrict OpenAI’s use of disputed information. No judge has granted one, but the lawsuit may still slow the device program through added legal reviews, recruitment pressure, and supplier concerns.
For now, the product remains a reported 2027 plan: a portable, camera-equipped speaker designed to learn its user and behave less like a voice assistant waiting for commands.
