According to a new report by Bloomberg analyst Mark Gurman, the closely watched product is not expected to resemble a smartphone or wearable pin. Instead, it is being developed as a battery-powered AI companion designed to move around the home and learn about its owner over time.
OpenAI reportedly views the device as a new category of computer built specifically for the artificial intelligence era.
Although it may resemble a speaker, people familiar with the project said the company does not want it to function merely as another voice assistant waiting for commands. The ambition is to create a device that understands its user, develops a detailed picture of their habits and eventually anticipates what they may need.
The product would reportedly be able to control smart-home devices, access email and other personal information, play music and media, answer questions, respond to messages and use ChatGPT’s broader capabilities.
As it accumulates information, the device is expected to become increasingly personalized and proactive, offering information or assistance before the user explicitly asks for it.
OpenAI reportedly wants the product to feel less like a gadget and more like a permanent presence in the home. It may include mechanical components capable of moving independently, giving it a more expressive physical character than a stationary speaker.
The company sees it as a physical embodiment of ChatGPT.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman
(Photo: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)
Its conversational capabilities are also expected to go beyond those of existing voice assistants. The device would reportedly rely on GPT-Live, a new conversational system that can listen and speak simultaneously, retain context and respond more naturally.
Although primarily intended for home use, the product would not be fixed in one location.
A rechargeable battery would allow users to carry it from room to room, bringing it into the kitchen while cooking, the laundry room while folding clothes or the living room and bedroom for music, information or continued conversation.
OpenAI’s major hardware bet
The project represents one of OpenAI’s largest investments since the company was founded.
Last year, OpenAI acquired io Products, the hardware startup created by former Apple design chief Jony Ive, for $6.5 billion. Ive helped design the iPhone, iPad and several other iconic Apple products.
His design studio, LoveFrom, is also involved in developing OpenAI’s new product line, alongside numerous former Apple designers and engineers.
Among them is Tang Tan, Apple’s former head of iPhone product design, who now serves as OpenAI’s chief hardware officer.
Amazon smart speaker
(Photo: Shutterstock)
Former Apple industrial design chief Evans Hankey is also helping lead product development. Paul Meade, a veteran Apple executive who worked on the Vision Pro headset and the company’s future smart glasses, reportedly joined OpenAI last month.
Those hires are also at the center of a growing legal dispute between Apple and OpenAI.
Apple filed a lawsuit last week accusing OpenAI of stealing trade secrets and relying on internal information to accelerate development of its hardware products. The lawsuit alleges that Tan led efforts to obtain confidential details about Apple’s future devices and development methods.
OpenAI has rejected the allegations.
The company said its device differs substantially from anything Apple currently produces, both in its hardware design and audio system, and therefore does not rely on Apple’s trade secrets.
OpenAI also said it has “no interest in the trade secrets of other companies” and is unaware of evidence supporting Apple’s claims.
First of several planned devices
OpenAI reportedly sees the speaker-like product as only the beginning of a broader push into hardware.
Its hardware division is said to be developing about five products, with plans to unveil the first device later this year and begin selling it in 2027.
That timetable could still change, particularly if Apple succeeds in obtaining an injunction that limits OpenAI’s ability to market or sell its hardware.
OpenAI is also reportedly considering a portable AI device that could eventually replace the smartphone, along with wearable products such as a smart pendant and devices for home robotics.
Apple, meanwhile, is pursuing its own expansion into AI-powered home products.
The company is developing a new family of smart-home devices led by a home control hub known internally as J490. The device is expected to include a 7-inch screen, video-calling capabilities, facial recognition and a new operating system.
It would also serve as a central platform for a redesigned version of Siri expected to arrive with iOS 27.
Apple is reportedly developing a more advanced model whose screen would be mounted on a robotic arm capable of moving toward the user and responding to commands. The company is also working on a smart home-security system.
The central question facing both companies is whether consumers will welcome an AI device that does more than answer questions and instead continuously learns who they are, what they do and what they may need next.