I tried out OpenAI’s new AI keypad — which will be fun for some coders and slightly mystifying to everyone else
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- Micro launched as OpenAI's first piece of hardware, developed in collaboration with specialty keyboard designer Work Louder and priced at $230
- The keypad features six customizable "agent" keys for ChatGPT or its Codex coding tool, six command keys below them, Bluetooth or USB pairing, and a voice dictation button for sending spoken requests
- Apple recently sued OpenAI alleging trade theft, while OpenAI is separately reported to be developing a smart home product built by former Apple engineers
- Reddit users and independent outlet Aftermath published largely negative reviews, with one Redditor calling Micro "a prank and not a real product" and Aftermath titling its review "OpenAI's expensive macropad feels engineered to piss me off specifically"
- Key status is communicated through color coding — white (idle), blue (thinking), green (complete), red (error) — requiring users to memorize both the color system and which projects are assigned to which keys
- The TechCrunch reviewer found the device "pretty fun" once programmed and especially useful for toggling between ChatGPT sessions, but questioned whether the learning curve is worth it versus just using a laptop
Why it matters: At $230 with an Apple-coded aesthetic, Micro is OpenAI's bid to give ChatGPT a physical presence on power users' desks — but with the people it's built for calling it a prank and an active trade-theft lawsuit from Apple, the launch doubles as an early stress test of OpenAI's credibility in consumer hardware.
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