The Rabbit R1 could be just an Android app that doesn’t need dedicated, standalone hardware. This hypothesis could be true after the Rabbit R1 Gen AI experience was packaged as an Android app (APK), and installed on an Android smartphone.
Is the Rabbit R1 just an Android app?
A couple of companies have been trying to position their devices as a simple way to access and use Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI). The Humane AI pin and the Rabbit R1 are standalone products that offer communication with cloud-based Gen AI.
The Rabbit R1 has had mixed reviews ever since it launched a few days ago. Although it is one of the first iterations, there were a lot of issues, multiple reviewers discovered. Some of the common complaints included battery life limitations, restricted touchscreen controls, and software inconsistencies.
Several social media users have wondered why the Rabbit R1 cannot be a simple smartphone app. After all, the Rabbit R1 has a touchscreen, camera, microphone, and battery. The handheld device supports wireless connectivity, just like a smartphone. The Rabbit R1’s only differentiating factor seems to be a scroll wheel and a vibrantly colored body. Mishaal Rahman over at Android Authority attempted to answer the question many were asking. He managed to install an APK (Android installer file), called “R1 Launcher”.
The “Rabbit R1 Android Launcher app” eventually recognized the phone’s T-Mobile SIM card. It adopted the phone’s volume button as the side button on the dedicated hardware. The app even allowed Rahman to create a “rabbit hole” account.
Coming to the actual performance, the R1 Launcher app even unlocked the settings menu. Finally, the AI voice assistant worked as expected.
This essentially means the entire Rabbit r1 Gen AI experience was replicated as an Android app. And Gen AI worked without the need for dedicated hardware.
Rabbit R1 creators dismiss the R1 launcher Android app as an emulator
Rabbit, the company behind the hardware, has essentially admitted that the Rabbit R1 device is based on a heavily customized version of Android OS, called the AOSP (Android Open Source Project).
we are aware there are some unofficial rabbit OS app/website emulators out there. we understand the passion that people have to get a taste of our AI and LAM instead of waiting for their r1 to arrive. that being said, to clear any misunderstanding and set the record straight,…
— rabbit inc. (@rabbit_hmi) May 1, 2024
“Rabbit r1 is not an Android app. We are aware there are some unofficial rabbit OS app/website emulators out there. We understand the passion that people have to get a taste of our AI and LAM instead of waiting for their r1 to arrive. That being said, to clear any misunderstanding and set the record straight, rabbit OS and LAM run on the cloud with very bespoke AOSP and lower-level firmware modifications, therefore a local bootleg APK without the proper OS and Cloud endpoints won’t be able to access our service. rabbit OS is customized for r1 and we do not support third-party clients. After today’s OTA, we implemented multiple cloud verification improvements to validate the device/client requests. We reserve all rights for any malicious and illegal cyber security activities towards our services.”
Are Gen AI gadgets a novelty?
Smartphones have all the hardware that’s necessary to support Gen AI. These portable computers pack a lot more and do several more tasks quickly and efficiently.
Some Gen AI gadget creators and enthusiasts claim smartphones are a distraction. Gen AI gadgets are much simpler, and they have fewer distractions. This allows users to keep working with Gen AI, without wandering into the world of apps and potentially wasting hours.
this would have been fine pic.twitter.com/5xWjXFZWVG
— Aleks (@aleksliving) May 1, 2024
These arguments supporting dedicated Gen AI hardware make some sense. However, Gen AI gadgets demand a substantial upfront cost for the standalone hardware. Then there are the recurring subscription fees.
Furthermore, these gadgets still need a lot of improvement. Finally, users will have to recharge these devices just like they charge their smartphones.
This makes it difficult to justify carrying yet another device. An app could easily work when commanded and then slip into the background afterward. It appears the Rabbit R1 is just that, but the creators felt the need for a dedicated device.
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