Imagine if your device could order an Uber for you without requiring you to use your phone. All you would do would be speak. Or could you use its camera to point at some items to create food you could make at home or order your favorite burger from a nearby restaurant? The Rabbit R1 is a retro-chic $199 AI gadget that looks considerably better than it works and promises to deliver on that promise.
The Rabbit R1 boasts many additional capabilities that it claims to be able to do with its “Large Action Model,” including live translation, music playback, speech recordings with summaries, voice search, and AI-generated graphics. We’ve been trying the Rabbit R1 for a week to see if it can live up to the promise. However, in the age of AI-powered phones, the device’s functionality often disappoints on a dubious premise. It was only possible to determine the accurate time once an upgrade was made.
Does Rabbit R1 have any unique design?
With its bright orange square design, which resembles a cross between an iPod and a Tamagotchi, the Rabbit R1 is undoubtedly noticeable in a crowd. Although it’s made of cheap plastic, for $199, you get exactly that. The device has a 2.8-inch touch screen, a scroll wheel for menu navigation, and a revolving camera for visual searches on the front. On the right side is a push-to-talk button for issuing AI orders. We had problems seeing the screen in direct sunshine because it wasn’t bright. The Rabbit R1’s left edge houses a 4G LTE SIM card slot and a USB-C port for charging, while the bottom left corner houses a speaker. Although it’s good to know that you can still connect without Wi-Fi, it’s probably preferable to link this device with your phone in hotspot mode when you’re out and about.
Navigation and Functionality Challenges
Although the Rabbit R1 has a touchscreen, menu navigation is mostly accomplished using the scroll wheel and the side button. Scrolling through the settings is too labor-intensive, so we wish the scroll wheel was a little more sensitive. Even if using the side button isn’t very difficult, there are many instances in which we reach out to touch the screen. However, nothing happens—for example, pressing the back button.
The touchscreen is only functional When using the on-screen keyboard to input a Wi-Fi password or ask inquiries in Terminal Mode. However, the keyboard is small, so several buttons—like the Enter key—must be pressed several times before registering. Otherwise, most of your interactions with the R1 will be voice-based, and that aspect functions very well. When you speak, an animated rabbit on the screen wags its ears to let you know the device is paying attention.
When it functions, the Rabbit R1 is similar to carrying Google around in your pocket. We believe the temperature was first displayed in Celsius. However, when we asked again, the R1 used Fahrenheit. Thus, it is inconsistent. We inquired how the stock market was doing today to test the R1’s voice search speed. It took 11 seconds to receive an answer over Wi-Fi. With a little scrolling, we could see the Dow Jones status and daily, weekly, and monthly views despite slow pace. However, the other indices were not displayed for us.
What characteristics does Rabbit R1 have?
- The AI-powered handheld device, the Rabbit R1, is intended to be a personal AI companion and to facilitate digital activities.
- The gadget is small and square, with an analog scroll wheel on the right side and a 2.88-inch touchscreen on the left. Above the scroll wheel, a 360-degree rotating camera known as the “rabbit eye” is located. This camera is utilized for advanced computer vision jobs and video conferences. A push-to-talk button is also included with the gadget.
- The R1 is a powerful device with a 2.3GHz MediaTek Helio P35 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. It features rapid USB-C charging, 4G LTE, and Wi-Fi connectivity. According to Rabbit, a single charge will last “all day.”
- The R1 has a cutting-edge “Large Action Model” (LAM) AI and operates on Rabbit OS. This Rabbit R1 AI device is tailored to each user’s demands, handling anything from communications to music. It picks up new duties fast. Additionally, the device has a training mode that lets people teach it new activities.
- Not only can the R1 perform tasks, but it can also perform “errands,” which are inherently more complicated. The company gives examples such as looking up flight schedules, selecting the best deal, putting groceries in a virtual supermarket cart, and finishing checkout.
Final Thoughts
The goal of Rabbit is to develop this comprehensive AI gadget. Yes, it can perform tasks similar to those of Google Lens. However, it can also perform tasks identical to those of Spotify, ChatGPT, DoorDash, and Uber on a single device using just your voice. Does the Rabbit R1 improve with time? Indeed, Rabbit promises many upcoming features, including point-of-interest research, navigation, and a teach mode. It will enable the Rabbit R1 to acquire further knowledge.