OpenAI is reportedly planning to sell a new AI-powered smart speaker for between $300 and $400, according to sources cited by TechCrunch. The device, which has been in development for months, is expected to feature deep integration with ChatGPT and other OpenAI services. It would mark OpenAI's first dedicated hardware product, moving beyond software partnerships. The price point positions it above typical smart speakers like Amazon's Echo or Google's Nest, but below premium devices like Apple's HomePod. No official launch date has been confirmed, but reports suggest a release later this year.
This is the moment AI stops living in your browser and starts sitting on your kitchen counter. A $400 smart speaker sounds steep, but think about what it replaces. You are not buying a speaker. You are buying a presence that listens, remembers, and answers without you reaching for a screen. That is a new category, not a gadget upgrade.
The skeptics will call it a glorified chatbot with a microphone. They are right, and that is exactly the point. The first smartphones were just phones with email. The first smart speakers were just speakers with weather reports. This is the first time a major AI lab goes physical, and the price reflects the ambition, not the parts. If the software delivers, $400 is cheap for having a mind in your living room.