OpenAI's 'alive' speaker faces 2027 delay from Apple

openai's first hardware device is a portable, screenless speaker equipped with a camera and self-moving mechanical parts to create a lifelike presence, powered by the new low-latency gpt-live voice mode. designed as a proactive 'home computer for the ai era' that can anticipate needs and control smart environments, the project faces a 2027 launch timeline jeopardized by apple's trade secrets lawsuit targeting openai's hardware lead. this legal challenge, centering on alleged poaching and data theft, seeks an injunction that could stall the device's release despite openai's denials. the speaker represents the first of roughly five hardware explorations from the ai giant, which is also exploring phone replacements and robotics.