OpenAI’s AI device will be doughnut-shaped, cost over $300

OpenAI's long-awaited consumer AI device will be a doughnut-shaped smart speaker roughly the size of a hockey puck, priced at more than $300, and featuring moving parts designed to give it personality, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.bloomberg

The device — essentially a screenless speaker small enough to carry around the home with one hand — represents the most detailed picture yet of what OpenAI and designer Jony Ive have been building since OpenAI acquired Ive's firm LoveFrom. The report, citing people familiar with the confidential project, described a product that eschews a display in favor of voice-first AI interaction.

Hardware Ambitions Meet Legal Battle

The device's development has become intertwined with a legal dispute between OpenAI and Apple ↘ 0.80%. On Wednesday, OpenAI filed a motion asking a U.S. judge to dismiss Apple's trade secrets lawsuit, arguing that "OpenAI is building something entirely new and different from anything at Apple".reuters

Apple sued OpenAI in July, alleging the company orchestrated a campaign to acquire confidential information through former employees — including OpenAI's chief hardware officer Tang Tan — and supplier relationships to accelerate its push into consumer hardware. Apple sought a preliminary injunction earlier this week to bar OpenAI from using any proprietary information.reuters+2

OpenAI has forcefully denied the allegations. "OpenAI has no use, need or desire for Apple's trade secrets," its lawyers wrote in Wednesday's filing. The Wall Street Journal News Corp ↘ 3.58% reported that OpenAI called the suit "careless" and "oddly personal" in a blog post.wsj+1

A Device Years in the Making

OpenAI confirmed at Davos in January that it was targeting the second half of 2026 for the device's debut, with chief global affairs officer Chris Lehane telling Axios the company was "on track". CEO Sam Altman has previously described the product as more "peaceful" than a smartphone.axios+1

The device is distinct from the Codex Micro keyboard OpenAI released in July as a limited-edition developer accessory. Bloomberg's new details — the doughnut shape, moving parts, and price point above $300 — suggest a product aimed squarely at the mass consumer market, positioning OpenAI as a direct competitor in the smart home space long dominated by Amazon.com ↘ 2.24% and Google Alphabet Inc. ↘ 3.58%.fortune