OpenAI Smart Speaker With Camera Coming in 2027, Jony Ive Team Leading Design

OpenAI Smart Speaker With Camera Coming in 2027, Jony Ive Team Leading Design

OpenAI is developing its first consumer hardware device, a smart speaker equipped with an integrated camera, designed by former Apple designer Jony Ive's team. The device is planned for release in early 2027 with a price tag between $200 and $300.

Device Capabilities

According to reports from The Information, the smart speaker will feature several advanced capabilities:

• •Integrated camera for object recognition and environmental awareness
• •Facial recognition similar to Face ID for identity verification
• •Voice-powered purchasing allowing users to make transactions
• •Contextual suggestions based on observing users and their surroundings

In internal presentations, OpenAI employees were told the speaker would observe users and proactively suggest actions to help achieve goals, such as recommending an early bedtime ahead of a morning meeting.

Hardware Team and Timeline

OpenAI acquired Jony Ive's hardware company io in May 2025 in a deal worth nearly $6.5 billion. The company has more than 200 people working on its family of AI-powered devices.

The smart speaker represents the first product from this collaboration and is expected to ship in February 2027 at the earliest. Beyond the speaker, OpenAI is also working on:

• •Smart glasses - not expected until 2028
• •Smart lamp - still in early stages, release uncertain

Pricing and Competition

The planned $200-$300 price point positions OpenAI's device competitively against existing smart speakers with displays like Amazon's Echo Show. Apple is also working on a similar home hub device with integrated camera and speaker, expected to launch later this year.

Design Philosophy

Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have described the device as "peaceful" and an "active participant" that is not annoying. They've emphasized it should make people feel joy. Earlier discussions indicated the device would be pocket-sized and contextually aware of the user's surroundings, without a screen.

Altman has called it "the coolest piece of technology that the world will have ever seen."

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Sources:

• •The Verge: OpenAI's first ChatGPT gadget could be a smart speaker with a camera
• •MacRumors: Jony Ive's First OpenAI Device Will Be Smart Speaker With Camera, 2027 Launch Planned