The most anticipated hardware in AI is coming into focus — through reporting, not an official reveal. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, OpenAI's first device, developed with Jony Ive's design startup io, will be a portable, screen-free smart speaker pitched as a "humanlike AI companion that lives in the home." OpenAI has not confirmed the details, so every specific here is a report, not a product announcement.
A speaker that moves
The standout new detail: the device is said to include mechanical elements that can move on their own, so it feels alive rather than merely responding to commands. It would draw on personal data — the report cites emails — to learn its owner over time and to control smart-home devices and media playback. There is no screen, and no camera or sensor specifics have been confirmed beyond the movement.
Powered by GPT-Live
The device's voice reportedly runs on GPT-Live, the more natural, advanced ChatGPT voice mode OpenAI rolled out this month, which can listen and speak simultaneously. That software backbone is what OpenAI is betting can make a companion device feel conversational rather than transactional.
Timeline and price
OpenAI is said to be aiming to unveil the device in 2026 and release it in 2027, at an expected price of roughly $200–$300. The hardware effort stems from OpenAI's $6.5 billion acquisition of io, which brought Ive's LoveFrom team and former Apple iPhone and Mac engineers into the company.
The legal cloud
The reporting lands in the middle of a fight: Apple has sued OpenAI and former employees, including hardware chief Tang Tan, alleging trade-secret misappropriation tied to this very device. The specifics leaking out now sharpen the stakes of that case — and of OpenAI's attempt to turn a chatbot into a physical presence in people's homes.