OpenAI developing portable screenless smart speaker as first hardware device

OpenAI developing portable screenless smart speaker as first hardware device

OpenAI is preparing to enter the consumer hardware market with a portable, screenless smart speaker, according to a report from Bloomberg News. The device is being positioned internally as a new type of computer for the AI era and is intended to serve as a humanlike AI companion for the home.

The device will operate similarly to existing smart speakers by playing media, answering questions, and controlling smart-home appliances. However, it will integrate advanced AI models beyond those found in conventional speakers and utilize ChatGPT capabilities to interact with users.

To foster a humanlike connection, the speaker is expected to feature a "personality" and mechanical elements that can move independently to create the impression that the device is alive. It will also include a camera and other sensors to help the AI understand the user's context and surroundings, becoming more proactive and personalized as it gains a deeper understanding of the owner over time.

Unlike many stationary home assistants, a central difference of this product is the inclusion of a rechargeable battery. This allows the user to carry the device from room to room throughout the day—such as moving it into a kitchen for cooking assistance or a laundry room during chores—though it can also remain plugged into a single room.

Legal Battles and Design Origins

The reveal comes amid a legal conflict with Apple, which recently sued OpenAI. Apple alleges a pattern of theft regarding its trade secrets, claiming the misappropriation was carried out by former Apple employees now at OpenAI. Apple described these instances as the tip of the iceberg and stated that OpenAI’s hardware business is rotten to its core by its illegal reliance on misappropriated trade secrets.

OpenAI has denied these claims. Spokesperson Drew Pusateri stated,

"We have no interest in other companies’ trade secrets,"

Drew Pusateri, spokesperson, via Gizmodo

adding that the company remains focused on innovative technology. Other sources knowledgeable of the plans suggest the device veers significantly from current Apple products and is unlikely to violate any trade secrets.

The hardware project is the result of a partnership with former Apple designer Jony Ive and follows the $6.4 billion acquisition of Ive's hardware design company, io. The collaboration was first announced in May 2025. The design process involved a pursuit of a specific aesthetic; OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recounted Ive saying, We’ll know we’ll have the design right when you want to lick it or take a bite out of it. Altman noted that while early prototypes did not evoke that feeling, they eventually reached that goal. Altman has described the resulting device as the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen.

Broader Hardware Ambitions

While the smart speaker is slated to be the first release, it is reportedly one of roughly five products OpenAI has been developing. The company's broader roadmap includes:

• A mobile AI device intended to replace the smartphone.
• Wearable products, including a pendant.
• Potential AI earbuds, with rumors of a release later this year or early 2027.
• Explorations into home robotics.

These ambitions have led to reported partnerships with component-makers such as Qualcomm, MediaTek, and Luxshare for a potential smartphone. However, earlier clues from a trademark lawsuit filed by a company called iyO indicated that the first device under development was neither a wearable nor an in-ear product.

Contradicting the smart speaker report, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities previously described the upcoming release as an AI agent phone. It remains unclear if these reports refer to the same device or separate projects in OpenAI's pipeline.

OpenAI may have as many as five different devices ready by the end of 2028.