Rabbit R1 , the undimmed orange AI contrivance that became the talk of the Ithiel Town duringCES 2024 , was launched and demoed at a private event in New York last hebdomad . The “ pick - up party ” as the company call it was alone for the first few hundred buyers and now we ’re see some other hand - on impressions . Scouring all the stories on the gadget , it looks like everyone had more or less similar thoughts on it . We ’ve polish up some of the most common congratulations and complaints from around the vane into one berth to help oneself you project out if the R1 is right for you .
Before we begin , if you ’ve been hearing about this machine but are still unclear on what the hell it really is , readmy explainer on itfirst .
Way too many comparisons with Humane’s AI Pin
The lately - releasedHumane AI Pinand the Rabbit R1 share a similar conception . They ’re both ambitious about being your first “ AI comrade . ” coincidently ( unless it was n’t a coincidence ) , the gimmick were released within weeks of each other . plainly , reviewers could n’t avail but compare them and one refrain stood out in everyone ’s preview of the R1 : “ at least it does n’t imbibe as much as the Humane pin . ”
Though no one has test the R1 ’s full capabilities yet , there are major , egregious divisor that already give it an edge over Humane ’s machine , with pricing being number one . Even if this whole AI companion thing turns out to be underwhelming , consumers would much rather waste $ 200 on the R1 than $ 700 on the Pin . It makes sense ; it ’s a new concept that ’s still very much in the works and putting a $ 700 tag on an unfinished , in - advance gadget is not idealistic .
By all accounts , Humane ’s pin was too futuristic for its own good . The whole laser project feature they examine on the gadget did n’t really deliver the goods . David Pierce , fromThe Verge , reports “ I much prefer the [ R1 ’s ] user interface to the Humane AI Pin — because there ’s a silver screen , and you could see the matter working so the AI hold do n’t feel quite so eternal . ”
Image: Rabbit
No subscription fee on the R1 , as match to the monthly fee on the AI Pin , is another major reason why the former is more attractive at the mo . And Rabbit ’s CEO , Jesse Lyu , made sure to reiterate this multiple time at the pick - up party , with changeless shadiness throw at its rival AI machine .
aside from the overly innovative approach Humane try out to take and failed at , there was also something about how its gadget looked that put many people off . Most reviewers strongly prefer the R1 ’s offbeat , silly aesthetic over it . “ The R1 just ooze character reference . From the witty feature public figure to the retro aesthetic [ … ] Rabbit and Teenage Engineering have developed something that ’s got a lot more nip than Humane ’s almost clinical show and approach , ” writes Cherlynn Low atEngadget .
It’s getting everyone nostalgic
While we ’re discussing its esthetic , I want to add that it look like this is half of its appeal , at the second . The industriousness ca n’t stop spout about all the nostalgia it ’s inducing . manifestly , the pick - up party was set up the same room . “ The intact place was an court to retro vibes , and the ledger entry to Rabbit ’s event was line with display cases turn back gadgets like a Pokedex , a Sony Watchman , a Motorola beeper , Game Boy Color , and more,”Engadgetwrites .
The company is going for a specific vibe , and it ’s clearly succeeding at it . Most reporters fink that they like this equipment just because it takes them back . Kimberly Gedeon fromMashablewrote “ It ’s the nostalgia . With the precious black - and - blanched rabbit ikon bounce up and down the screen surrounded by a ‘ loud ’ colour , the machine reminded me of my childhood fixation with ‘ 90s pouch toy dog like the Tamagotchi or Digimon . Shout - out to Teenage Engineering for designing this AI gadget ; the Rabbit R1 makes me feel like a minor again . ”
Engadget and The Verge both take on that the gimmick ’s charm comes more from look one-time - school than establish calibre . Engadget writes , “ It did n’t feel good in that it ’s agio or long-wearing ; it felt good because it remind me of my puerility . ” The Verge thinks the gadget is “ not luxurious , or even particularly gamey - end , just silly and sport . Where Humane ’s AI Pin feel like a carefully sculpture alloy gem , the R1 feels like an older - schoolhouse MP3 actor crossed with a fidget spinner . ”
It’s still learning how to walk
It also completely messed up The Verge ’s order of magnitude once . They write : “ I asked for ‘ Beyoncé ’s newfangled album , ’ and the machine excitedly go away and found me ‘ Crazy in Love’—a lullaby version , from an creative person called “ Rockabye Baby ! ”
In any case , keep in mind that most people have n’t put the R1 through its pace . It ’s only been asked to secern the temperature or play a birdcall . Built - in vocalization assistants on our phones can handle that perfectly well , too . The tangible trial of this twist is live on to be its training mode where you could teach it how to interact with any site of your choice , and it will then be able to do that on its own .
An unfinished product
The R1 is a study in progress , and the CEO is quite transparent about this . According to Engadget : “ Lyu made many promises to the hearing , seeming to receipt that the R1 might not be amply featured when it arrives in their hand . Even on the company ’s website , there ’s a list of feature that are planned , in the works , or being explored . Throughout his speech , Lyu repeated the phrasal idiom ‘ we ’re gon na work on it . ’ ”
This explains why most mass who got their hands on it were n’t blown away by its current functionality . It feels very ChatGPT - ey at the moment , except it can go ahead and actually execute commands for you — like call you an Uber or order intellectual nourishment on DoorDash . Your phone is absolutely capable of doing all that . The on - gimmick photographic camera , or the Rabbit eye “ let you point to any object — which it will then recite you about . It ’s very Google Lens . Hell , even my iPhone can execute this functionality , too ” , reports Mashable .
Not providing enough at the bit , and being honest about it is one thing , but it looks like there have also been some cases of the R1 not supply what it anticipate . allot to The Verge , “ It ca n’t send emails or make spreadsheet , though Lyu has been demoing both for months . ”
Why couldn’t this just be an app?
Whenever a company offers something out of the box , consumer love involve why it could n’t have just been an app .
This means the R1 require to do more . It ’s judge to attract consumers with the promise of offering convenience and minimizing the taps on your phone , but I doubt anyone would yield that amount just to diminish a duo of taps on their phones .
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