In the words of a furious Gordon Ramsay, “It’s raw!” The Rabbit R1 is akin to an extremely undercooked piece of meat, still dripping with blood on the plate, as the chef insists, “No, I didn’t cook it, but just imagine its potential for deliciousness while chewing it; come on, eat it!” I took a bite of the Rabbit R1 — and it tastes like rushed innovation, disappointment, and impulsiveness. The Rabbit R1 needs improvement. Credit: Mashable On one hand, the Rabbit R1, marketed as a pocket AI companion, shows promise. With its impressive Vision capabilities that rival ChatGPT Vision (i.e., GPT-4V) and precise Spanish-to-English translation, the Rabbit R1 gets some things right. However, these commendable features are overshadowed by glitchy performance, frustrating Spotify playback, aggravating experiences with a mediocre AI assistant, and other irritating quirks.
So, should you invest in the Rabbit R1? It depends on your preference for tech: rare or well-done? SEE ALSO: Rabbit R1 launch party lasted a grueling 1 hour and 12 minutes, but these 9 features are impressive
Rabbit R1: price and specs
The Rabbit R1 is priced at $199 and offers the following specifications:
Jesse Lyu, Rabbit’s CEO, claims that no subscription is needed. However, there are some things to consider.
The Rabbit R1 can connect to Wi-Fi, but it struggles with connecting to public locations that require a login page.
The Rabbit R1 features a SIM card slot that supports 4G LTE, allowing you to opt for a data-only plan for constant connectivity.
You can also link the Rabbit R1 to your phone’s hotspot.
In essence, there isn’t a subscription technically, but if you want to use it on the go, you may still need to commit to a monthly fee. (It’s important to note that the Meta RayBan Smart Glasses offer similar features to the Rabbit R1 without requiring a fee at all.)
Rabbit R1: What I like about it
The Rabbit R1 has its strong points, particularly stemming from its Vision feature (which uses the camera to identify objects).
Suggests recipes based on recognized food items
When I have a variety of ingredients on hand but struggle to decide what to cook, I usually turn to the UberEats app and spend $30 on a Sweetgreen salad. With the Rabbit R1, however, I can point it at a group of ingredients and receive creative recipe suggestions that inspire me to get cooking.
Accurately describes objects and people
When I focused the camera on Mashable’s Senior Social Media Editor Lily Kartiganer, it accurately detailed her appearance from head to toe, including her attire and features. It even identified background items like computers and office chairs.
However, be cautious when using the Rabbit R1 with others. When I aimed it at my dad, it began by stating, “I see an elderly man,” which didn’t sit well with him. (Don’t tell my dad, but the Rabbit R1 wasn’t entirely wrong.)
It also excels at identifying objects, as shown in the video below.
Impressive menu translations
The standout feature of the Rabbit R1, in my opinion, is its ability to translate a Spanish menu into English. As a frequent traveler, this functionality is a game-changer. I tested it on a Spanish menu, and it effortlessly translated the text into English. My only issue is that you need to request the translation in a specific manner for the Rabbit R1 to comply (more on this in the “What I don’t like” section).
Summarizes text like ‘CliffsNotes’
At times, I lack the motivation to read an entire article. This is where the Rabbit R1 comes in handy. I can point it at a screen displaying lengthy text, and it will provide me with a summary of the content. I’ve used this feature for emails, Discord conversations, and WhatsApp messages as well.
Nostalgic design
Millennials like myself are drawn to the Rabbit R1’s design, despite its bright orange exterior, as it evokes memories of 90s pocket toys. With a bouncing bunny icon on the screen, I can’t help but reminisce about my old Tamagotchi.
Although the Rabbit R1 may seem plasticky, it is actually a durable device. I handled it carelessly during testing, tossing it into my bag without a scratch — even on the display. The hardware is robust, and the chassis doesn’t attract fingerprints.
Rabbit R1: What’s ‘eh’ about it
While some Rabbit R1 testers dislike the scroll wheel and find the need to shake the device to access the Settings menu off-putting, I don’t mind these features.
Quirky functions add to the fun
Initially, I wasn’t a fan of the scroll wheel either. It’s the primary method for navigating the Settings menu, though I found it to be somewhat unresponsive. Despite this, there’s a tactile enjoyment in using the scroll wheel that harks back to classic toys.
I also appreciate the novelty of shaking the Rabbit R1 to access the Settings menu. However, it can be frustrating when trying to navigate back to the top of the menu from the very last option. Yet, these quirks add to the device’s charm.
A touchscreen that’s not quite touch-friendly
Surprisingly, the Rabbit R1 features a touchscreen, but you can’t physically touch the screen to make selections. The only time you can interact with the touchscreen is by turning the device to access the virtual keyboard, allowing you to input commands to the AI without using your voice. This design choice encourages users to rely on the scroll wheel.
Hit-or-miss response times
While the Rabbit R1 is generally quick in responding to queries, the Vision feature can sometimes lag. Occasionally, the device pauses after completing a thought, leading users to believe it has finished speaking before continuing. Adding a visual cue like a three-dot animation would help indicate when the Rabbit R1 is processing a response.
On the bright side, the Rabbit R1 is faster than the Humane Ai pin. It’s also important to note that AI conversations, aside from interactions with the Vision feature, are not saved anywhere.
Adequate conversational translations
In my tests with Spanish-to-English and French-to-English translations, the Rabbit R1 was accurate. However, users need to continuously use the push-to-talk side button for the AI to “listen.” This can lead to missed portions of the other person’s speech if the button is pressed too late. While I would prefer a voice-activated AI like Google Assistant or Siri, Lyu argues that the push-to-talk button prevents the AI from constantly monitoring conversations.
Doubles as a voice recorder
You can record audio using the “Start a recording session” command, which is then sent to the Rabbit Hole, a companion webpage accessible from any browser. The Rabbit Hole also stores any reminders or notes you’ve asked the Rabbit R1 to save, allowing for easy access later on.
However, these features didn’t particularly excite me and weren’t standout functionalities.
Rabbit R1: What I dislike about it
One of the main selling points of the Rabbit R1 is its unique large action model (LAM) in addition to the underlying LLM (with Perplexity leading the way), which sets it apart from ChatGPT and similar models.