The Rabbit R1 first generated consideration at CES 2024 in January as a kitschy little AI assistant that is not supposed to outright exchange your cellphone however that will help you use it extra effectively. As a substitute of apps, the R1 makes use of its “Massive Motion Mannequin” to coach “rabbits” the way you work together with internet experiences, after which replicates them.
The end result, Rabbit says, means that you can get off your display, and let the R1 carry out duties for you along with your permission, all with out storing any delicate information. Most notably, Rabbit claims to do all this with a $200 product with no subscription charges.
Simply yesterday, Rabbit hosted a dwell demo and product launch occasion for its first batch of publicly out there gadgets, and I used to be fortunate sufficient to get my palms on one of many vivid orange little devices myself. I can not wait to see what the R1 can truly do, however for now, this is a primary have a look at what comes within the field, and a few first impressions of the bodily {hardware} of the gadget itself.
The Rabbit R1 is available in a small cardboard field protected by a foam insert on the highest. The gadget is firmly match into the field and guarded by a plastic shell. There’s nothing within the field besides this foam insert and the gadget itself. Notably, there isn’t a charging cable or any kind of paper directions.
The shortage of a cable is not an enormous problem, because the R1 expenses by way of USB-C, one thing you undoubtedly have mendacity round for different gadgets, however it’s one thing to notice.
The R1 is powered by a 1,000mAh lithium ion battery, and it stays to be seen how lengthy it lasts or how the battery life interacts with usability. That is undoubtedly one thing we’ll be maintaining a tally of as we take a look at the gadget.
The R1 itself is firmly housed inside its plastic case, which is strong sufficient to make it greater than a bit bit exhausting to get open. The highest hinges down and the gadget might be faraway from the highest.
The left facet of the gadget has a USB-C port and a SIM slot for cell information. On the precise is the only real clickable button, the scroll wheel, which is used to navigate the UI, and the digital camera, (or “rabbit eye”… get into the theme right here) which auto-rotates to the entrance or again, relying on the duty at hand.
The R1’s mic is positioned on the highest of the gadget and solely prompts whenever you activate the push-to-talk button on the facet. The two.88-inch show is a touchscreen and my first impression utilizing the keyboard (typing in a Wi-Fi password) was combined. The buttons are, as you’ll think about on a three-inch display, fairly small.
The scroll wheel may be very tactile and responsive, nonetheless, and would not really feel low cost. Actually, I can not assist however examine it to the bodily scroll wheel on a BlackBerry, a design selection that I do not assume is a coincidence.
The again of the gadget is clear and featureless, housing solely the speaker. The general bodily make of the R1 feels strong sufficient, though it must for its functions. It is a gadget that may doubtless be thrown round, dropped, and tossed into backpacks, so I like that it would not really feel fragile or like you may crush it with one hand, like some smartphones do.
Time will inform how the R1 holds as much as basic testing, because it comes at a time when different AI assistant merchandise — such because the Humane Ai Pin — have had a tough time convincing shoppers that they’ve a goal past being a novelty tech gadget.
The R1, nonetheless, has a novel place with its modest $200 worth level and lack of any subscription payment, which might definitely assist adoption.
