Rabbit R1the bright orange AI gadget that has been the talk of the town for CES 2024, was launched and demonstrated at a private event in New York last week. The “Pickup Party,” as the company called it, was reserved exclusively for the few hundred buyers and now we have some first hands-on impressions. Looking through all the stories on the device, it seems like everyone has more or less similar thoughts about it. We’ve rounded up some of the most common raves and complaints from around the web in one place to help you decide if the R1 is right for you.
Before we begin, if you have heard about this device but still don’t know what it is. Really is read my explanation about this First of all.
Far too many comparisons with Humane’s AI Pin
The recently released Human AI Pin and the Rabbit R1 share a similar concept. They both have the ambition to become your first “AI companion”. Coincidentally (unless it’s not a coincidence), the devices were released within weeks of each other. Obviously, reviewers couldn’t help but compare them and a refrain stood out in everyone’s R1 preview: “at least it doesn’t suck as much as the Humane pin.”
While no one has tested the full capabilities of the R1 yet, there are some major and glaring factors that already give it an edge over Humane’s device, price being number one. Even if this whole AI companion thing proves disappointing, consumers would much rather waste $200 on the R1 than $700 on the Pin. It makes sense; It’s a new concept that’s still in the works and putting a $700 sticker on an unfinished, work-in-progress device isn’t ideal.
By all accounts, Humane’s pin was too futuristic for its own good. The whole laser projection feature they tried on the device wasn’t really successful. David Pierce, The edgereports “I much prefer (R1’s) interface to the Humane AI Pin, because there’s a screen and you can see the thing working so the AI delays don’t seem as interminable.”
The lack of subscription fees on the R1, unlike the monthly fees on the AI Pin, is another major reason why the former is more attractive at the moment. And Rabbit CEO Jesse Lyu made sure to say it multiple times at the takeover party, with constant shade thrown at his rival AI device.
Besides the excessively innovative approach that Humane tried to take and failed at, there was also something about the appearance of its device that turned many people off. Most reviewers strongly prefer the R1’s quirky, silly aesthetic. “The R1 is full of character. From witty feature names to retro aesthetics (…) Rabbit and Teenage Engineering have developed something that has much more flavor than the almost clinical look and approach of Humane,” writes Cherlynn Low on Engadget.
It makes everyone nostalgic
While we’re discussing its aesthetic, I want to add that that seems to be half of its appeal at the moment. The industry can’t help but gush over all the nostalgia it’s generating. Apparently the pickup party was organized the same way. “The whole place was an homage to retro vibes, and the entrance to Rabbit’s event was lined with display cases containing gadgets like a Pokedex, a Sony Watchman, a Motorola pager, a Game Boy Color, and more” , Engadget writing.
The company strives for a specific ambiance and clearly achieves it. Most journalists admit that they like this device simply because it brings them back. Kimberly Gédéon Crushable wrote “It’s nostalgia. With the cute black and white bunny icon bouncing up and down on the screen surrounded by a ‘loud’ color, the device reminded me of my childhood obsession with 90s pocket toys like the Tamagotchi or the Digimon. Thanks to Teenage Engineering for designing this AI device; the Rabbit R1 makes me feel like a kid again.
Both Engadget and The Verge admit that the device’s appeal comes more from its old-school look than its build quality. Engadget writes: “It didn’t feel good to me in that it was premium or durable; It felt good because it reminded me of my childhood. The Verge thinks the device is “not luxurious, or even particularly high-end, just silly and fun. Where Humane’s AI Pin looks like a carefully sculpted metal gem, the R1 looks like an old-school MP3 player crossed with a fidget spinner.
It’s still learning to walk
Based on early reviews, the R1 is still figuring itself out. He does some things well but struggles in other areas. Ryan from Android Authority said: “I saw the R1 shine and I saw it stumble. » Engadget and Mashable had relatively positive interactions with it and were impressed with its response time, while The Verge said there was a considerable delay.
It also completely messed up The Verge’s order once. They write: “I asked for ‘Beyoncé’s new album,’ and the machine enthusiastically went and found me ‘Crazy in Love,’ a lullaby version, by an artist called ‘Rockabye Baby!’
Regardless, keep in mind that most people haven’t put the R1 through its paces. He was only asked to indicate the temperature or play a song. The voice assistants built into our phones can also handle this perfectly. The real test of this device is going to be its training mode where you can teach it to interact with any site you want, and it can then do it on its own.
An unfinished product
R1 is a work in progress and the CEO is pretty transparent about it. According to Engadget: “Lyu has made numerous promises to the public, seeming to acknowledge that the R1 might not be fully equipped when it gets into their hands. Even on the company’s website, there is a list of features planned, in the works, or being explored. Throughout his speech, Lyu repeated the phrase “we will work on it.”
This explains why most people who have gotten their hands on it haven’t been blown away by its current features. This seems very ChatGPT at the moment, except it can go ahead and fulfill orders for you, like calling you an Uber or ordering food on DoorDash. Your phone is perfectly capable of doing all of this. The device’s built-in camera, or rabbit’s eye, “allows you to point at any object, which it will then tell you about.” It’s very Google Lens. Hell, even my iPhone can run this feature too,” reports Mashable.
According to Android Authority, “Rabbit’s software is still in its early stages. The overall experience of the R1 is pretty straightforward right out of the box, offering a total of nine functions out of the box from day one, each of which is almost identical to what your smartphone can already do and is a bit more of a brain teaser. install.”
On the contrary, at first you might even feel limited by the nine services you can use, until you teach it macros and train it for the services you want. Android Authority adds: “Currently, the R1 supports music playback, ride sharing, and food delivery via Spotify, Uber, and Doordash. However, it only supports these apps: you can’t choose Lyft, Tidal, or even Uber Eats instead.
Not delivering enough at the moment, and being honest about that is one thing, but it seems like there have also been instances where the R1 hasn’t delivered what it promised. According to The Verge, “it can’t send emails or create spreadsheets, even though Lyu has been demoing it for months.”
Why couldn’t it just be an app?
Whenever a company offers something outside the box, consumers love to wonder why it couldn’t just be an app.
Currently, people who spend time with this device are not able to answer this question. Android Authority says: “I struggle to find a good answer when someone asks me why it’s not just an app. Honestly, I have yet to find a situation where I would actually prefer to take this phone-like gadget out of my pocket to supplement one of its relatively limited functions when I already have my phone which has many more features to my disposal.
This means the R1 has to do more. It’s trying to attract consumers with the promise of providing convenience and minimizing pressures on your phone, but I doubt anyone would pay that amount just to lessen a few pressures on their phone.
