OpenAI will price its upcoming AI smart speaker between $300 and $400, according to a TechCrunch report published Tuesday. The device, which has been the subject of leaks for months, will mark OpenAI's first dedicated hardware product and will compete directly with smart speakers from Amazon, Google, and Apple.

Pricing Leak Details

TechCrunch, citing people familiar with the product plans, said OpenAI has set the retail price at $349 for the base model, with a premium version costing $399. The report said the company has not finalized the exact price and could adjust it before launch. The device is expected to ship in early 2027.

This pricing would place the OpenAI speaker well above most competitors. Amazon's Echo Show line starts at $249. Google's Nest Audio sells for $99. Apple's HomePod mini costs $99, and the full-size HomePod is priced at $299.

What the Device Does

The OpenAI speaker, rumored to be called the OpenAI Hub, will include a touchscreen, a camera, and a custom AI assistant built on the company's latest language model. The assistant will handle tasks such as scheduling, answering questions, controlling smart home devices, and making video calls. TechCrunch reported that the device will also support real-time language translation and will have a feature that lets users hold conversations with the assistant in multiple languages.

One unusual detail from the report: the device will have a privacy shutter for the camera that is physically activated by a switch. That feature is rare in smart speakers and signals OpenAI's focus on privacy, an area where the company has faced criticism in the past.

The speaker will require a subscription to OpenAI's ChatGPT Plus service for full functionality, TechCrunch said. The subscription costs $20 per month. Without it, the speaker will only offer basic voice commands for music and smart home controls.

Market Position and Competition

The high price tag and subscription requirement put the OpenAI device at the premium end of the smart speaker market. Analysts say this is a deliberate strategy.

"OpenAI is not trying to compete on volume," said Mark Nguyen, a hardware analyst at The Koncept Group. "They are aiming at a niche of power users who want a sophisticated assistant and are willing to pay more."

Nguyen pointed to the device's deep integration with OpenAI's chatbot services as the main differentiator. "Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant are good at basic tasks, but they do not have the conversational depth of OpenAI's models. That is the core appeal."

But the strategy carries risk. Smart speakers have historically been sold at low margins or as loss leaders. Amazon and Google often discount their devices during holiday sales. OpenAI will not have that flexibility if the bill of materials is already expensive, Nguyen said.

OpenAI's Hardware Ambitions

The speaker is part of a broader push by OpenAI to expand beyond software. The company hired former Apple design lead Jony Ive in 2025 to help create consumer devices, and the speaker is the first product from that collaboration. Ive has not been publicly involved in the speaker's details, but his influence is evident in the reported design, which includes a fabric mesh exterior and a minimal base.

OpenAI has also filed patents for a wearable AI device and a set of smart glasses. The speaker is expected to serve as the foundation for that ecosystem, connecting with other OpenAI devices in a home network.

TechCrunch said OpenAI plans to unveil the device at an event in October 2026, with a launch in November just before the holiday shopping season.

OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment.