OpenAI Smart Speaker Sized Like a Hockey Puck Priced Over $300
Taylor Wilson
OpenAI's first hardware product is a screenless, doughnut-shaped smart speaker priced at $300–$400, designed by former Apple design chief Jony Ive's studio and slated for 2027 — marking the company's formal leap from software into consumer hardware.
What does this "doughnut" actually look like?
Shaped like a doughnut, roughly the size of a hockey puck, designed to be held in one hand.
Equipped with a speaker grille, microphones, and a camera-plus-sensor system — it can listen, talk, and perceive its surroundings.
Battery-powered, so it works unplugged — nightstand, kitchen counter, or carried around.
This means → it is not a stationary corner speaker but closer to a portable AI companion.
It costs more than most speakers — why?
Priced at $300–$400, above most smart speakers on the market but below a standard iPhone.
Designed by LoveFrom, the studio of Jony Ive — the designer behind the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.
Built with premium metals and high-end materials, aiming for a luxury feel.
In plain terms = this is AI hardware wrapped in Apple-grade design and materials, priced in the gap between a speaker and a phone.
How is the AI better than ChatGPT on a phone?
Runs a more advanced model than ChatGPT's mobile voice mode, with stronger human-like interaction.
Learns about the user over time and personalizes conversations — the longer you use it, the better it knows you.
Features parts that move on their own during responses to convey "presence"; lights indicate when it is listening. The goal: feel more alive than a static speaker.
This reflects OpenAI's ambition to make the hardware itself a character with personality, not just a box that plays back answers.
Could Apple's patent lawsuit block it?
Apple is suing OpenAI, alleging infringement of intellectual property related to metal surface-finishing techniques.
OpenAI denies the claims, has filed a motion to dismiss the suit, and says an internal review found the product uses no Apple trade secrets.
Bloomberg notes the doughnut-shaped device is a category Apple has not entered, clearly distinct from Apple's HomePod line.
In plain terms = the lawsuit targets manufacturing details, not the product concept — for now, it does not appear to be a fundamental barrier to launch.
Why is OpenAI getting into hardware at all?
The smart speaker is positioned as an entry point; OpenAI plans a full lineup of hardware products.
The long-term goal is to build a device that could replace the smartphone — the speaker is just step one.
But Amazon Echo and Google Nest have dominated smart speakers for years. Whether OpenAI can gain a foothold is the first question to answer.
This means → this is not just about "making a speaker" — it is OpenAI's opening move in a long-term bet on owning the AI hardware gateway.
Content is for reference only, not financial advice.