特斯拉的机器人出租车正在倒退运行：https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/23/teslas-robotaxis-are-moving-in-reverse/ Sean O'Kane：https://techcrunch.com/author/sean-okane/
Jack Dorsey 正在用 Buzz 挑战 Slack，这是一款为团队及其 AI 代理设计的群聊平台：https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/21/jack-dorsey-is-taking-on-slack-with-buzz-a-group-chat-platform-for-teams-and-their-ai-agents/ Amanda Silberling：https://techcrunch.com/author/amanda-silberling/
AI 音乐生成器 Suno 数据泄露影响 5500 万用户，据 Have I Been Pwned：https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/21/ai-music-generator-suno-breach-affects-55m-users-per-have-i-been-pwned/ Zack Whittaker：https://techcrunch.com/author/zack-whittaker/
OpenAI launched its first piece of hardware last week — a fancy little keypad built to pair with ChatGPT. Micro, which was developed in collaboration with specialty keyboard designer Work Louder, is essentially an artisanal workplace novelty that many tech enthusiasts will love and that may leave everyone else a little puzzled.
OpenAI’s entrance into the hardware market hasn’t arrived without drama. Several weeks ago, Apple sued the AI lab：https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/10/apple-sues-openai-over-alleged-trade-secret-theft/ and accused it of trade theft — kicking off what’s certain to be a long-simmering legal battle. Meanwhile, news of another smart home product：https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/14/openais-first-hardware-device-is-reportedly-a-screenless-speaker-that-can-move/ in development at OpenAI has also raised eyebrows, as the supposed device — which is being built to pair with ChatGPT — was reportedly developed by former Apple engineers.
Until the legal battle works itself out and OpenAI’s broader hardware ambitions materialize, the most the startup has to offer is Micro — a funky little keypad clearly engineered to delight the tech industry’s code monkeys.
OpenAI sent TechCrunch a Micro test unit. The first big thing you notice when initially handling the keypad is that it’s a sturdy little device — enough so that if the AI accessory thing doesn’t end up working out, it could easily double as a paperweight. The other thing you might notice (and I am not the only one to point this out)：https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BShyLkLEuhU, is that the packaging — an immaculate white box with a sleek, clean aesthetic — is pretty Apple-coded. Make of that what you will.
The keypad’s layout involves six frosted “agent” keys at the top of the pad, which can be customized to carry out specific tasks within ChatGPT or its agentic coding tool Codex. Below them are six command keys, which can be used to control those programs. You can pair your Micro with your computer either through a Bluetooth connection or a USB cable.
Perhaps the most convenient thing Micro offers is a button for voice dictation — meaning you simply tell the app what you want done and it will get busy working on your behalf. Just hold down the dictation button and start talking. When you’re done, tap the “send” button next to it to submit your request.
You can customize your Micro keypad within ChatGPT itself, where a Micro tab allows you to adjust everything from the brightness of the light from the keys to the specific commands and projects you want tied to those keys.
Hard-core coders — the device’s actual target audience — haven’t exactly embraced it. Reviews by Redditors have largely negative, with one Reddit user calling it “a prank：https://www.reddit.com/r/ArtificialInteligence/comments/1uxlu4s/comment/oxscjvj/ and not a real product,” and others saying serious coders won’t touch it. A review by the smaller independent outlet Aftermath was even harsher：https://aftermath.site/openai-codex-micro-macropad/, calling the $230 price tag hard to justify next to cheaper DIY and off-the-shelf alternatives. (The title of that review: “OpenAI’s expensive macropad feels engineered to piss me off specifically.”)
It’s definitely the case that new users may need some time to figure out how Micro works and what to do with it.
Once I figured out how to program the keypad to my liking, I found it was actually pretty fun. You can assign various ChatGPT sessions to specific keys, which then allows you to easily toggle back and forth between all of your various projects. When you combine that with the dictation button, it makes the whole experience considerably more efficient and enjoyable.
But there’s still a learning curve. Micro’s buttons are color-coded. White means an agent is idle, blue means its thinking, green means a task is complete, and red means there’s been an error. You’ll need to memorize that, along with memorizing which specific projects are coded to each key.
The big question is whether the Micro keypad is functionally easier to use than just continuing to work on your laptop. In short: Why would I spend a week learning how to program and operate this thing when I already know how to use my computer’s mouse and keyboard?
Ultimately, your experience with the Micro will depend heavily on how much you use ChatGPT. Since I don’t use AI much day to day, I’m probably not the target audience for it.
That said, if you’re a ChatGPT power user, have $230 to spare, and like vintage-looking hardware with clicky buttons, Micro probably isn’t the worst purchase you could make — it might even brighten your day a little.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission：https://techcrunch.com/techcrunch-affiliate-monetization-standards/. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
Scale faster. Grow your portfolio. Gain practical expertise. No matter your goal, Disrupt can empower you. Save up to $330 toda y!
SpaceX launches new V3 Starlink satellites but suffers another booster failure：https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/24/spacex-launches-new-v3-starlink-satellites-but-suffers-another-booster-failure/ Sean O'Kane：https://techcrunch.com/author/sean-okane/
US accuses American of allegedly wiping his phone using a ‘duress’ password during border search：https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/24/us-accuses-american-of-allegedly-wiping-his-phone-using-a-duress-password-during-border-search/ Zack Whittaker：https://techcrunch.com/author/zack-whittaker/
Anduril reportedly in talks to raise funding at $100B valuation, more than 3x last year’s mark：https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/24/anduril-reportedly-in-talks-to-raise-funding-at-100b-valuation-more-than-3x-last-years-mark/ Ram Iyer：https://techcrunch.com/author/ram-iyer/
Tesla’s robotaxis are moving in reverse：https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/23/teslas-robotaxis-are-moving-in-reverse/ Sean O'Kane：https://techcrunch.com/author/sean-okane/
Jack Dorsey is taking on Slack with Buzz, a group chat platform for teams and their AI agents：https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/21/jack-dorsey-is-taking-on-slack-with-buzz-a-group-chat-platform-for-teams-and-their-ai-agents/ Amanda Silberling：https://techcrunch.com/author/amanda-silberling/
Light made a flip phone — it’s colorful and it’s cheap：https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/21/light-is-modernizing-the-flip-phone-with-light-flip/ Amanda Silberling：https://techcrunch.com/author/amanda-silberling/
AI music generator Suno breach affects 55M users, per Have I Been Pwned：https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/21/ai-music-generator-suno-breach-affects-55m-users-per-have-i-been-pwned/ Zack Whittaker：https://techcrunch.com/author/zack-whittaker/
情报判断
Aioga 编辑摘要
Aioga 编辑摘要：OpenAI 推出与 Work Louder 合作设计的定制键盘 Micro，可通过蓝牙或 USB 连接电脑，配合 ChatGPT 及编码工具 Codex 使用。 Aioga 将其归入「技巧观点」方向，重点关注它对真实使用和行业竞争的影响。
扫码直达文章详情