OpenAI is developing its first piece of consumer hardware, a battery-powered, donut-shaped smart speaker priced above $300, according to a Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter, marking the ChatGPT maker's first direct move into a device market long dominated by Amazon and Google.

The device, roughly the size of a hockey puck, is being developed in partnership with LoveFrom, the design studio founded by Jony Ive, the former longtime chief design officer at Apple credited with shaping the look of the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. OpenAI acquired Ive's hardware startup, io Products, for $6.5 billion last year, a deal that marked the company's formal entry into physical device development and that OpenAI is now working to justify commercially through this first standalone product.

A Premium Price for a Premium Design

According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, who first detailed the device, OpenAI is planning to price the speaker somewhere between $300 and $400, positioning it well above most of the existing smart speaker market. Amazon's current lineup of Echo devices ranges from roughly $40 to $240, while Apple's HomePod starts at $299 and the Bose Lifestyle Ultra retails around $299, meaning OpenAI's device would sit at or above the very top of the category rather than competing on price with mainstream offerings from Amazon or Google.

The company is reportedly aiming for what has been described as a "premium look," built from high-quality metal and other upscale materials consistent with Ive's design reputation. Sources told Bloomberg the speaker will feature distinct moving parts intended to give the device a sense of personality, along with........

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