With the rise of ChatGPT and large language models (LLMs), tools dedicated to AI have begun to appear. The human AI pin was widely criticized when it launched earlier this month, and now the rabbit r1 AI assistant is out. With rumors that Apple is getting interested in AI in a big way, we thought we'd take a look at the Rabbit r1 to see what it can do and how it makes its way to the iPhone.
Priced at $200, Rabbit is a square-shaped pocket assistant that can answer questions, search for information, interface with food delivery and ride-hailing services, play music, translate languages, etc. , and more. It's a cute little device that looks right at home with Playdate for Nervousness, but everything it can do can already be done with an iPhone.
Unlike the Humane AI pin, the Rabbit r1 has a screen you can interact with, making it more functional. It comes with an old-school scroll wheel to navigate the UI, and there's a built-in camera to recognize objects. It's Wi-Fi only by default, but you can add a SIM card, which is an extra cost.
As a first-generation device, the r1 isn't perfect. The setup process is straightforward without any tips on how to use the tool or what it's capable of doing. If you choose one of these, you'll almost certainly need to visit the website to learn how to use it, so it's worth some on-device instructions to make it easier to use. can do with For example, there are hidden controls like shaking the device to access settings, and settings are the only way to activate the terminal for typing.
The idea of the rabbit r1 is to be less dependent on the smartphone, so there is no app for it. This is a bit of a hassle if you want to access photos and other information you've saved on it, as it's only accessible through the Rabbit Hole website.
You can connect services like Spotify, but it's not very smart about recommending songs. Asking it to play favorite songs, for example, results in a random song selection. The translate option works well, but it can be slow, and difficult to access.
In some tests, ordering food was successful, but not without hiccups. We didn't test ordering ourselves, but YouTuber Quinn Nelson did and the AI ordered but didn't ask for guidance on a tip and was overly generous and tipped the most recommended amount.
The Rabbit r1 can summarize documents, a task it's decent at, but it's not really something a smartphone can't do. It's nice to recognize things around you with the camera, but some things, like a classic Mac, trip it up.
We need to spend more time testing the Rabbit r1, but so far, it looks like a neat device but also an unnecessary one that isn't quite ready to replace a smartphone. Any feedback on the R1? Let us know in the comments below.