AIBRIEF
IDC tracked three straight years of smart speaker shipment declines and projects another ~9.6% drop in 2026 before the category flatlines.
Smart speaker shipments peaked above 100 million units in 2022, led by Amazon, and have fallen every year since: 16.3% in 2023, 11.8% in 2024, and 6.7% in 2025, according to IDC figures reported by Engadget. IDC's Jitesh Ubrani projects another 9.6% drop by the end of 2026 before the category flatlines in 2027.
OpenAI is reportedly entering that market. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported on July 14, 2026 that the company's first device will be a moveable, screenless speaker with an integrated camera, designed as an AI companion that "lives in the home". The reported $200–$300 price, 2026 unveil, and 2027 release put OpenAI's entry after three straight years of decline.
"Creating the device is not hard, but getting it to reach any sort of mass scale, that's a lot more difficult," Ubrani told Engadget. Consumers see no need to refresh existing devices because new features arrive over the cloud.
Fidji Simo warned employees this spring that OpenAI risked missing its moment because it was "distracted by side quests" like Sora, which the company shut down in April. Her warning predated the smart-speaker report.
OpenAI has not confirmed the device. Apple's trade-secret suit against OpenAI's hardware chief and the reported 2026/2027 timeline both remain unresolved as the category it joins contracts.