The Rabbit R1: Mobile Companion or... a Secret Competitor?

The Rabbit R1: This device is a new addition to your pocket, but what's the purpose of it?

Well, let's jump into it because the creator of The Rabbit R1 takes aim at mobile phones by... working with them, and it also takes aim at your smart home speakers. He seems to dive in by taking a different approach via a companion device to take away your need to constantly be on your phone only to fall victim to time-consuming apps by using The Rabbit R1 as a bridge to use your apps for you to get certain things done (via a large action model). This is the R1... by Rabbit:


Now that you've seen the keynote, let's jump in. This is definitely a head-turning device, and it was allegedly engineered by teenagers. I had to mention this first because that's badass and I appreciate the door being open to teens regarding such a huge opportunity. Secondly, It's definitely a device that could potentially be useful to some, especially for those who get flustered and need clarification, even when it boils down to creating recipes. Again, pretty badass, but... I have to say this... even if the creator says that the device won't collect your data and play show & tell (not his words... but you get it), it's safe to remain skeptical. 
At the same time, it's up to you to give the device access to select apps. I still wouldn't know what I'd use it for, but I probably would've embraced it in a different form. It's all good though, different strokes for different folks... which is why the first 10,000 units sold out immediately and the second batch emerged soon after. Smart to have this thing hopping around Easter time... which can help market it simply based on the commercial bunny theme.

While the device certainly has its uses, I think the intrigue of this $199 AI companion is motivating a lot of the sales... and a number of people will probably find themselves pouring a large amount of time into it to see what they could truly use it for. Some may shrug, while others find that they aren't hounding a friend or family member with as many questions or requests to do something (like order pizza or a rideshare). It has room to grow, and with the 4G sim card slot, we may be seeing a different type of phone in due time.

The good thing is that this device also has the ability to take photos and video, so push comes to show... it could serve as a smart camera with AI capabilities.

Overall, I am curious of what's to come. If this has its own number, it will certainly give you the ability to make calls... or at least it should, but... this sim card slot makes me wonder what the R2 or R3 will look like and will they come in the form of AI phones actually taking on others in the industry? I ask this because if the R1 gets a large enough base that is comfortable enough to use with the addition of a SIM card, I think it's only a matter of time before it goes from being a companion to a competitor for your pocket.


The Rabbit R1 Specs:

Battery: 1000mAh capacity
Weight: 115g
Speaker output: 2W
Audio input: Dual microphone array
Bluetooth 5.0 | Wi-Fi 2.4GHz + 5GHz | 4G LTE
Display: 2.88in TFT Touchscreen
MediaTek MT6765 Octa-core (Helio P35)
Ram: 4GB
Storage: 128GB
Magnetometer + GPS
Accelerometer + Gyroscope
Photo resolution: 8MP | 3264x2448
Video resolution: 24fps | 1080p
SIM card slot
USB-C