It's Not a Phone: OpenAI Is Developing a New AI-Based Product Category

OpenAI plans to launch a new artificial intelligence device in 2027, roughly the size of a hockey puck, with an expected price point between $300 and $400, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.

According to the report, this is not a smartphone or a standard home speaker, but a new device designed to serve as an AI-based personal assistant. The device will be screenless, allowing users to converse with the artificial intelligence, receive answers, perform tasks, and activate various services using voice commands.

The disc-shaped device will feature speakers, microphones, a camera, and sensors that allow it to understand its surroundings, alongside moving parts and built-in lighting designed to make interactions more natural and personal. It is further stated that the device will learn user habits over time, adapt conversations, and utilize advanced versions of the company's AI models.

The device is being developed in collaboration with the design studio LoveFrom, led by British designer Jony Ive, who was responsible for the design of the iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Apple Watch. The product is expected to be crafted from premium materials, including high-quality metal.

Bloomberg noted that OpenAI views this device as the first step toward establishing its own line of hardware products, with long-term aspirations to develop products that could serve as an alternative to smartphones.

In the background, OpenAI and Apple remain locked in legal proceedings following a lawsuit filed by Apple, which alleges that the company used trade secrets related to product design. OpenAI rejects these allegations, claiming the new device is a completely original development that does not infringe on Apple's intellectual property. According to the report, the company continues to advance the device's development as planned, despite the ongoing litigation.