In addition to the dull 2.9-inch screen, there's a unique 8-megapixel “360 eye” camera that can rotate toward you and away from you. This is an interesting way to avoid bundling his two separate cameras, so I'd like to give credit to Rabbit for that. But 360-degree eyes aren't just for taking pictures. Instead, it's all about computer vision. You can ask R1 to describe anything in front of you, from objects to documents to articles, and wait for the AI-generated summary. This may be useful for people with visual impairments, but those users can also use their ChatGPT, Microsoft's Copilot, or their phone's built-in tools (which also have very good cameras). You can do the same using:
Using Rabbit R1 is a waste of money
Beyond looks, the Rabbit R1 is pretty much a failure. Once powered on, you can press the push-to-talk button on the side to ask the AI assistant anything you want, including the weather, local traffic information, and summaries of books you've recently read. However, in my testing, the R1 would often provide weather information when I asked for traffic information, but other times it would listen to my requests and do nothing.
The more I use R1, the more frustrating it becomes. The scroll wheel is the only way to interact with the interface (although the display is also touchscreen), and it's just plain hard to use. There's no real reason as to how long you have to scroll to move between menu options. The decision button is on the right side of R1, so it's a pain to just select an item. That button is much easier to press if it's somewhere below the scroll wheel. Or, even better, let them use the touchscreen.
Oddly enough, if you need to enter text, such as a Wi-Fi network password, the Rabbit's touchscreen recognizes your taps. But even that process is a pain, as you have to hold the R1 on its side and type on a laughably small keyboard. To be honest, it felt like I was getting a flat tire every time I used it. (The obligatory “What is this, the keyboard is Ali?”)
Third-party apps on Rabbit R1
The more I used the Rabbit R1, the more it felt like it was intentionally designed to drive me crazy. You can also play music from Spotify (if you have a paid subscription), but what's the point in doing that with those crappy 2-watt speakers? Is there? You can also ask R1 to generate art via Midjourney AI (also requires a paid account), but I often couldn't see the photos it created.On rare occasions they showed up, but they couldn't actually come. do Anything using R1's AI images. To share, you'll need to load Midjourney's Discord server onto your phone or computer.
When I asked R1 to find me an Uber to a local theater, I was told that Uber service might be slow to load on RabbitOS and wasn't available everywhere (huh, thanks?). After about 30 seconds of idling, the Uber service said it was undergoing maintenance or that there might be an issue with my credentials. (I logged out of Uber and back in on Rabbit Hole, the website I use to manage my R1, but the error still occurred.)
“LAM works by operating the Uber web app in the cloud on your behalf,” Rabbit representative Ryan Fenwick said in an email when asked why he was unable to get the Uber service working. He told me via email. “Uber ultimately decides how and whether to serve you, which can vary from time to time depending on the location you booked from, your ride history, and other factors. We are taking steps to improve the success rate and transparency of booking rides through R1, which should improve your experience over time.”
At least the Rabbit R1 was able to make me eat a sandwich. When I asked to find lunch nearby, it spent a full minute communicating with Postmates and its AI cloud. This is the exact time it takes to complete her GrubHub order on my phone. R1 finally came back with three chaotic choices. Subway, nearby Anne's Bakery, and a restaurant I've never heard of 8 miles away.
I chose Henri's (they make great sandwiches). R1 showed me 6 different menu items. That small screen only shows the product's photo, name, and price; you can't tap to see a detailed description or customize anything. You can only add or remove items from your cart. I chose two sandwiches for him and to my surprise, R1 completed the order without ever confirming my payment information or shipping address. DoorDash's default settings worked perfectly, and thankfully they were up to date.
As soon as the order was placed, my iPhone started lighting up and showing me all sorts of useful information from DoorDash. I received a confirmation from the restaurant, detailed contents of the bill (apparently R1 added his default 20% tip), and the name of the delivery driver. It took a few minutes for R1 to confirm my order, but only occasionally let me know it was on its way.
The sandwich eventually arrived and I was even more shocked at how many things could have gone wrong. This is not him in 1999. Just being able to order food online like Kozmo.com doesn't impress me anymore (rest in peace). But even back then, you could see and customize the entire menu. When I looked at my phone and found the DoorDash app to be much more convenient, I quickly lost faith in his R1.
Other features of R1 include meeting recording and summarization. But this is also something that some apps can do on your phone or computer. The on-demand translation feature seems to work fine for converting from English to Spanish and Japanese, but it's no better than his Google Translate or his ChatGPT on my phone.
What is the point of Rabbit R1?
All of this begs the question, “What's the point in Rabbit R1?” It is not a replacement for a phone call as it cannot make calls or send text messages. He can also add a SIM card for constant connectivity, but that will only increase the price. However, it's still not useful on the go. Perhaps some would argue that this is a companion device to avoid being distracted by your phone. But it's so slow and difficult to use that a hellscape full of smartphone notifications feels much more soothing. Having to buy, charge, and carry yet another device is not at all comfortable.
Also, if you're concerned about battery life, you should avoid the Rabbit R1 at all costs. When I first received it, the R1 would drain the battery when idle. there is nothing,8 hours. The first major update to RabbitOS helped a lot, but the R1 still can't last a full day on a single charge. This is completely unacceptable for a device with such a small screen and offloading work to the cloud.
Some might argue that the $199 Rabbit R1 is a bargain compared to the $699 Humane AI Pin (which also requires a $24 monthly subscription), but that's because rabbit poop is dog poop. It's like saying it doesn't smell as bad. Technically true! But at the end of the day, it's still all shit. Humane's projection screen is at least an interesting twist on mobile UI, which could be unwieldy as a wearable. The Rabbit AI assistant, on the other hand, is basically just a thicker, dumber phone.
Please don't buy R1. Even if Rabbit manages to deliver on some of the promises of LAM, such as his ability to train R1 to handle various tasks, I have no faith that it will actually work. not. My advice applies to all standalone AI gadgets. Just don't get close. A mobile phone is sufficient.