Published , by TJ Denzer
Published , by TJ Denzer
One of the more interesting reveals to come out of CES 2024 so far has been the Rabbit R1. Coming from the rabbit company, this is a simple and cost-effective AI-powered pocket computer that is built to act as a helpful tool in users’ every day lives, from searching the internet, to asking specific queries of the AI system. It also starts at $199 USD, has no subscriptions, and is available to order now.
The Rabbit company introduced the Rabbit R1 pocket companion in a keynote during CES 2024. The device fits in the palm of one’s hand. It features a touchscreen, an analog scroll wheel, a rotating camera, microphones, speakers, a USB-C and SIM card slot, and a push-to-talk button. That last one ensures that the Rabbit isn’t listening to you all the time. When you want to ask a query, search for something, or command the R1 to help you with a task, you press and hold the button to speak to it. It runs on the proprietary Rabbit OS, which is powered by a Large Action Model (LAM) AI said to be quite a bit faster in response and results delivery than other AI models such as ChatGPT. The device is also Wi-Fi and Bluetooth compatible.
During the keynote that introduced the Rabbit R1, we watched its AI handle a query about the nature of the universe. Rabbit founder and CFO Jesse Lyu then directed the device to look up stock prices for Coca-Cola and answer to who played Oppenheimer in Christopher Nolan’s recent movie. These are just a few of the use cases that were on display during the keynote. The device has no subscriptions, so the only cost you pay at the moment is the $199 USD to get it. It’s expected to ship sometime between March and April 2024, according the R1 product page on Rabbit’s website.
It remains to be seen if the Rabbit R1 will catch on, but it looks like a reasonable and cost-effective option if you want to access the internet on the go without going in on a mobile phone plan. For more of our tech coverage, be sure to check out our CES 2024 topic for news, previews, and features.