OpenAI's First Devices: Speaker, Smartphone, and More

OpenAI's first hardware device is a portable, screenless AI smart speaker co-developed with former Apple design chief Jony Ive, expected in early 2027 at a price between $200 and $300. The company is also fast-tracking an AI smartphone to mass production in the first half of 2027, with supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo projecting combined 2027 and 2028 shipments of around 30 million units. Other devices in development include smart glasses, a smart lamp, and earbuds, stemming from OpenAI's $6.5 billion acquisition of Ive's startup io Products.

OpenAI's hardware roadmap has sharpened considerably in recent months, with its first device now identified, a smartphone said to be arriving as soon as next year, and a wider lineup taking shape behind them. AI Smart Speaker OpenAI's first product is a portable, screenless smart speaker https://www.macrumors.com/2026/07/14/openai-ai-hardware-device-speaker/ developed with former Apple design chief Jony Ive, designed to act as a personal companion in the home rather than a conventional voice assistant. Design The device is said to have a rechargeable battery so it can be carried between rooms, a camera for understanding its surroundings, and mechanical elements that move on their own to give a sense that it is alive. Ive and CEO Sam Altman had previously said they did not want to build a device with a screen, with Altman describing a prototype https://www.macrumors.com/2025/11/24/jony-ive-sam-altman-ai-device-2/ to employees as "the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen." Features Powered by ChatGPT and using GPT-Live https://www.macrumors.com/2026/07/08/openai-gpt-live-voice/ for conversation, the speaker will reportedly control smart home accessories, answer questions, play media, and respond to messages, becoming more personalized and proactive over time. It is also said to have a personality of its own. OpenAI reportedly does not regard the HomePod https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/homepod/ or HomePod mini https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/homepod-mini/ as comparable products. Price and Release Date The speaker is expected in early 2027 https://www.macrumors.com/2026/02/20/jony-ive-openai-smart-speaker-2027/ at a price between $200 and $300, having slipped beyond an initial release target of this year https://www.macrumors.com/2026/02/10/openais-jony-ive-designed-device-delayed-to-2027/ . AI Smartphone Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo https://www.macrumors.com/guide/ming-chi-kuo/ first described https://www.macrumors.com/2026/04/27/openai-working-on-an-ai-smartphone/ the device in April as an "AI agent phone" built around a continuous, context-aware interface rather than individual apps, arguing that the smartphone is the only device capturing a user's full real-time state, including location, activity, communication, and context. He believes controlling both the operating system and the hardware is the only way OpenAI can deliver a comprehensive agent service. Specifications The phone is said to use a customized version of MediaTek's Dimensity 9600 processor built on TSMC's N2P node, also used on Apple's upcoming "A20" chips, with MediaTek now looking likely to be the sole chip supplier after Kuo initially named Qualcomm as a possible partner. Luxshare Precision Industry is believed to be the exclusive manufacturing partner, and Sunny Optical has secured component orders https://www.macrumors.com/2026/05/29/iphone-18-pros-camera-upgrade-will-cost-more/ for two OpenAI devices, likely for camera modules. Its headline known specification is an image signal processor with an enhanced HDR pipeline intended to improve real-world sensing through the camera, alongside two AI processors for handling vision and language tasks simultaneously. Timeline Mass production was originally targeted for 2028, but Kuo revised https://www.macrumors.com/2026/05/05/openai-fast-tracking-ai-phone-2027/ that to the first half of 2027, reflecting OpenAI's planned IPO and intensifying competition in the category. He projects combined 2027 and 2028 shipments could reach around 30 million units if development stays on track. Other Devices Smart glasses, a smart lamp, and potentially earbuds are also reportedly in development, though those sit further out on the roadmap and some could be cancelled. The lineup stems from OpenAI's $6.5 billion acquisition https://www.macrumors.com/2025/05/21/openai-buys-jony-ive-ai-startup/ of Ive's startup io Products, alongside an aggressive recruitment campaign that has brought more than 400 former Apple employees to the company, among them designers Evans Hankey, Tang Tan, and Scott Cannon, and Vision Products Group leader Paul Meade https://www.macrumors.com/2026/06/26/apple-loses-another-executive-to-openai/ . Apple responded with retention bonuses of up to $400,000 https://www.macrumors.com/2026/03/26/apple-iphone-designer-bonuses/ in restricted stock units for its iPhone Product Design team. Apple's Lawsuit That hiring is now the subject of litigation. Apple sued OpenAI https://www.macrumors.com/2026/07/10/apple-sues-openai/ on July 10 over the alleged theft of trade secrets, and Bloomberg 's Mark Gurman https://www.macrumors.com/guide/mark-gurman/ argues the case is already slowing the hardware effort https://www.macrumors.com/2026/07/13/openai-lawsuit-threatens-plans/ by deterring Apple engineers from interviewing and making suppliers wary. OpenAI says https://www.macrumors.com/2026/07/11/openai-responds-after-apple-lawsuit/ it has "no interest in other companies' trade secrets." What Does It Mean for Apple? Apple is separately rumored https://www.macrumors.com/2026/02/17/apple-ai-wearable-development/ to be developing smart glasses, AirPods with cameras, an AI pendant, and a smart home hub https://www.macrumors.com/guide/apple-command-center/ with enhanced Siri https://www.macrumors.com/guide/siri/ capabilities, putting the two companies on a collision course across several categories. 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