OpenAI’s ring-shaped smart speaker will reportedly cost between $300 and $400
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OpenAI is reportedly developing a portable, ring-shaped smart speaker priced between $300 and $400, marking an ambitious move into consumer hardware. The rumoured price would put it well above most smart speakers and could test whether consumers will pay a premium for AI-focused devices ahead of an expected 2027 launch.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the hockey-puck-sized device would be battery-powered and designed to be carried around. It is said to have moving components intended to make it feel more engaging, alongside cameras and environmental sensors, but no display; OpenAI’s hardware push follows its $6.5 billion acquisition of Jony Ive’s startup, io.
- OpenAI’s rumoured smart speaker may cost $300–$400.
- The portable device reportedly has cameras, sensors and moving parts.
- Consumer reaction could affect pricing before a 2027 launch.
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OpenAI is the company behind ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence system that can answer questions, write text and help with other tasks. It has mainly offered its technology through websites, apps and services used by other companies.
Smart speakers are voice-controlled devices that can play music, set reminders and answer simple questions, usually through services such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant or Apple Siri. Most have been designed to sit in one place at home, rather than be carried around.
Jony Ive is the former Apple design chief who helped shape products including the iPhone and iMac. OpenAI’s move into hardware would place it in direct competition with established consumer electronics companies and test demand for dedicated devices built around generative AI.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A premium portable AI speaker could offer a genuinely different kind of assistance from conventional smart speakers: more capable conversational interaction, environmental awareness and a purpose-built, screen-free design that reduces reliance on phones. Supporters would argue that a $300–$400 price can be reasonable if the device delivers useful everyday value, strong privacy controls and well-integrated hardware rather than merely adding AI branding. They may also see investment in new form factors as necessary to discover more natural, less distracting ways to use advanced AI.
The case against
Sceptics would argue that the proposed price asks consumers to take a substantial risk on an unproven category when capable voice assistants and smartphones already meet many of the same needs for far less. Cameras, sensors and always-available AI in a portable device could create serious privacy, security and social-acceptability concerns, particularly without a display that makes its status and data use clear. They may also question whether moving parts and an unusual form factor solve a real problem rather than increasing cost and complexity.