Jony Ive and OpenAI: A partnership worth billions

In May 2025, the tech world was shaken by news of a massive acquisition. OpenAI bought the startup io Products, co-founded by Jony Ive — the man responsible for the iconic design of the iPhone, iPod, and iMac. The transaction price was around 6.5 billion dollars, making it one of the largest AI acquisitions ever. Ive, together with his creative studio LoveFrom, took over responsibility for design across all of OpenAI.

The result of this partnership is now OpenAI's first hardware product — a portable smart speaker powered by ChatGPT. According to sources from Bloomberg, it is a device without a display that relies entirely on voice communication, a camera, and environmental sensors.

What the device can do — and what it looks like

OpenAI has not yet officially unveiled its product, but reports from TechCrunch and other media point to the following key features:

• No display — communication is entirely voice-based
• Camera and environmental sensors — the device perceives its surroundings and recognizes context
• Moving mechanical parts — the speaker can physically move, intended to express "personality"
• Rechargeable battery — portable throughout the home without needing to be constantly plugged in
• ChatGPT and GPT-Live — the engine for real-time voice AI communication

The device is expected to handle smart home control, media playback, answering questions, replying to messages, and all the capabilities ChatGPT offers via voice. The target price is reportedly between 200 and 300 dollars (approx. €190–€285), which is significantly less than originally speculated.

Why this isn't just "another smart speaker"

Amazon Echo, Google Nest, and Apple HomePod have been on the market for years — yet for many users, they remain more of an accessory than a central hub of the home. OpenAI is betting on a different approach: instead of an assistant waiting for commands, it wants to create an AI companion that actively perceives its environment and responds to context.

The key difference is the integration of advanced language intelligence at the level of ChatGPT. While Alexa or Google Assistant can handle simple commands and queries, GPT-Live can hold a full-fledged dialogue, remembers conversation context, and handles more complex requests — from summarizing news to helping with work tasks to having a conversation about problems. The moving parts are also meant to give the device a "living" feel — an element that has been completely absent from existing products.

Legal battle with Apple: Accusations of trade secret theft

But OpenAI's entry into the hardware world is accompanied by a serious legal complication. On July 10, 2026, Apple filed a federal lawsuit accusing OpenAI of trade secret theft. According to the lawsuit, first reported by CNBC and Bloomberg, OpenAI systematically poached Apple employees and encouraged them to bring internal components and confidential information to job interviews.

Apple claims that "at every level, from rank-and-file technical workers to hardware directors, and in collaboration with business partners, OpenAI stole trade secrets and confidential information." The lawsuit comes at a time when OpenAI is simultaneously working with Apple on integrating ChatGPT into iOS — a paradoxical situation where the two companies are both partners and legal adversaries.

OpenAI denied the allegations: "While we take these allegations seriously, we are not aware of any evidence suggesting the complaint has merit."

When and for how much? What we know about availability

OpenAI plans to unveil the product still in 2026, with sales scheduled to begin in early 2027 — as soon as February 2027. The device was originally called "io," but due to a trademark dispute with the hearing-aid startup iYo, it will be sold under a different name.

Regarding availability for Czech and European customers, OpenAI has not released any specific information. Given that ChatGPT fully supports Czech and the voice mode (GPT-Live) also works in Czech, it is realistic that the product will be usable for Czech users from launch. The key question remains whether it will be available through European online stores and what the price will be after conversion to euros, considering potential customs fees following their introduction by the US.

How big is the market OpenAI is attacking?

The market for smart speakers and AI home devices is enormous — according to analysts from Built In, its value is in the hundreds of billions of dollars globally. OpenAI is entering a space dominated by three giants: Amazon (Alexa), Google (Gemini on Nest), and Apple (Siri on HomePod).

OpenAI's advantage is that ChatGPT is today the world's most widely used AI tool with more than 500 million active users. These users are accustomed to the way of communicating with GPT — and a hardware product could bring that experience directly into the living room without needing to open a phone or browser.

On the other hand, OpenAI is entering a segment where even Apple — with an incomparably stronger ecosystem — failed to achieve dominance. HomePod remains a niche product for Apple Music fans. The question of whether ChatGPT's intelligence alone is enough to make people buy a new device for their home remains open.

What it means for the Czech scene

ChatGPT is one of the most used AI tools in the Czech Republic — according to surveys, millions of Czechs use it regularly, especially in the 18–45 age group. GPT's voice mode works in Czech at a high level, so the technical barrier is not high.

A practical issue may be price and availability. At a price of $200–$300, the Czech price after conversion and VAT could reach CZK 6,000–8,000 (approx. €240–€320), which is comparable to the HomePod mini or Sonos Era 100. In this price segment, OpenAI will have to clearly demonstrate added value over established competitors.

The legal battle with Apple complicates the situation — if Apple obtains a court injunction blocking sales, Western Europe could see delivery delays. For now, however, this is speculation; delays in similar cases tend to be the exception rather than the rule.