OpenAI’s hockey puck-sized smart speaker designed by Jony Ive could cost over $300
It's the first product to come from OpenAI's $6.5 billion acquisition
💰 The Jony Ive-designed hockey puck-sized smart speaker OpenAI is reportedly launching could be very expensive
📈 Rumors indicate this speaker could cost between $300 and $400
🎵 That puts it among more Hi-Fi-oriented options such as Denon, Bose, and even Apple
🤔 However, the device is designed to be portable with a ring-shaped design and will reportedly have a camera system and sensors inside
OpenAI is reportedly moving into the smart speaker space with an expensive option designed by former Apple chief design officer and SVP for industrial design, Jony Ive.
As per reliable tipster Mark Gurman for Bloomberg, OpenAI’s smart speaker will have a ring-shaped design about the size of a hockey puck. The device is meant to be battery-powered and portable, so a user could easily carry it around.
Gurman also notes that the speaker reportedly has components that will move on their own, which seem designed to make the product more lifelike and engaging. It will have a camera system and sensors to monitor the surrounding environment, but no screen.
As a result of OpenAI’s $6.5 billion acquisition of Jony Ive’s startup io Products, Inc. it’s moved into hardware and wants to recoup some of that hefty sum, meaning the price of this smart speaker is expected to be high.
Gurman reports his sources expect the device to be between $300 and $400, making it expensive for a portable smart speaker.
The other options in and around this price range are more Hi-Fi driven, such as the $399 Denon Home 200, the $349 Apple HomePod 2 (which could itself soon be replaced) and the $299 Bose Lifestyle Ultra speaker.
However, it seems like OpenAI’s speaker is a completely different proposition, and with its high price, the firm may have a hard time convincing people it’s the better option unless it offers clear benefits over the competition.
The $6.5 billion acquisition from OpenAI could end up being an expensive mistake if consumers don’t flock to the product as the brand is perhaps expecting.
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Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.