Rabbit’s New R1 Debuts as Pocket-Sized AI Assistant With 360-Degree Camera

Rabbit R1 has been launched by a US-based startup as a pocket-sized AI assistant that runs on a customised operating system. The device, developed in partnership with Teenage Engineering, aims to eliminate the need to interact with apps on a smartphone. Instead, the Rabbit R1 uses a “Large Action Model” that uses AI powered “rabbits” to replicate the process of interacting with apps and complete tasks on behalf of the user via a cloud platform, according to details shared by the company.

Rabbit R1 pricing and availability

Pricing for the Rabbit R1 is set at $199 (roughly Rs. 16,500) and the device will be available in an orange colourway. The company says it expects US shipping to begin by April, for devices that are pre-ordered by March 31.

The Rabbit R1 will ship to Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, South Korea, Japan, and the UK later this year. The startup also says that the retail price of the device is exclusive of taxes and shipping for international orders.

Rabbit R1 specifications, features

The Rabbit R1 runs on a customised operating system called Rabbit OS that is designed to replace the use of apps with a cloud-based solution that can order food or groceries, send and receive messages, book a taxi, or even play music — all without interacting with a traditional smartphone app.

Instead of offering support for applications, the Rabbit R1 can be trained to study app interactions using AI (the start is touting its Large Action Model used on the device) and then perform them on your behalf. During its presentation, the company revealed that it currently allows users to connect their accounts to services including — but not limited to — Spotify, Uber, Doordash, Expedia, and Amazon, via a private web portal called the “Rabbit hole”.

It is powered by an unspecified MediaTek chipset paired with 4GB of RAM, along with 128GB of inbuilt storage. It also sports a 2.88-inch touchscreen display to show the output of its AI tasks or weather details and music controls. You can also scroll the Rabbit OS interface using a wheel and provide commands using a push-to-talk button located on the side.

The device supports both Wi-Fi and 4G LTE connectivity via a SIM card slot. It is equipped with a 360-degree rotating camera that has a privacy mode and can also be used to take video calls. It packs a 1,000mAh battery and a USB Type-C charging port, while there’s no word from the company on the battery life of the device