In brief
OpenAI's debut consumer device is a screenless, battery-powered smart speaker with a camera and sensors, designed for home use and portable between rooms.
OpenAI paid $6.5 billion for io Products, co-founded by Jony Ive, whose studio LoveFrom is designing the device. Numerous former Apple engineers who created the iPhone and Mac are on the team.
Apple sued OpenAI last week, accusing it of stealing hardware trade secrets. Apple stated the current allegations are only 'the tip of the iceberg.' OpenAI denies any wrongdoing.
The speaker is expected to launch in 2027 as the first of roughly five planned devices, which also include a mobile phone replacement and home robotics products.
Hark, an AI lab, raised a $700 million Series A at a $6 billion valuation in May 2026 to build 'personal intelligence' hardware paired with proprietary AI models.
- 14 JulBloomberg reports details of the screenless, movable speaker as OpenAI's first device.
- 15 JulCodex Micro gadget, made with Work Louder, scheduled for release.
- 2027Expected launch of the ChatGPT smart speaker.
The product
OpenAI's first foray into consumer hardware will be a portable, screenless smart speaker equipped with a camera, sensors, and a rechargeable battery, according to people familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg on 14 July 2026. The device is pitched internally as a 'humanlike AI companion that lives in the home' and is meant to serve as a new type of home computer for the AI era. It will use advanced AI models, including GPT-Live, OpenAI's upgraded voice model, to learn about its owner over time, offer proactive help, play media, answer questions, and control smart home devices.
“humanlike AI companion that lives in the home”
Sources described the device to Bloomberg as having a 'personality' and being able to proactively learn about its owner over time, drawing on things like emails and calendar data. It will include 'mechanical elements that can move on their own,' designed to make it feel more like a companion and a 'physical manifestation of OpenAI's ChatGPT.' The product can be carried from room to room, working both plugged-in and on battery.
Jony Ive and the design team
The hardware is being developed with the help of former Apple chief designer Jony Ive and his firm LoveFrom. OpenAI paid $6.5 billion in 2025 to acquire io Products, the startup Ive co-founded. The development team also includes many former Apple engineers and designers who worked on products such as the iPhone and Mac.
The Apple lawsuit
The report arrives just days after Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, accusing the AI company of stealing hardware trade secrets. Apple claimed the allegations in the suit are 'the tip of the iceberg' and that more misconduct will emerge during discovery. OpenAI issued a statement on Tuesday saying it is 'not aware of any evidence that this complaint has merit.' A separate trademark infringement lawsuit filed by iyO against the io Products association revealed the device is not an in-ear product or a wearable.
“the tip of the iceberg”
Competitive landscape
The speaker will place OpenAI in direct competition with Amazon, Google, and Apple, each of which has spent years building ecosystems of smart speakers, assistants, and connected devices. The differentiation, according to Bloomberg's sources, is a more personalised and proactive experience that can interpret context through its camera and sensors. Meanwhile, AI lab Hark, founded by Brett Adcock, raised an oversubscribed $700 million Series A in May at a $6 billion valuation to build 'personal intelligence' hardware, a sign of investor appetite for consumer AI devices.
“not aware of any evidence that this complaint has merit”
Roadmap
Bloomberg reports the speaker is one of roughly five devices OpenAI is developing. A future mobile device intended to replace the smartphone is reportedly in the works, along with home robotics products. The speaker itself is expected to launch in 2027. OpenAI has also teased a separate Codex gadget called the Codex Micro, developed with Work Louder, scheduled for release on 15 July 2026.