The Rabbit R1 appears to be headed to a junk drawer

An illustration of the Rabbit R1 in a junk drawer.
(Image credit: Future photo illustration)

The Rabbit R1, that pocket-sized AI assistant that was all the rave a few months back at CES 2024, might not be as revolutionary as it seems. The consensus among reviewers in a wave of recently published takes is it is essentially an Android app in a wonderfully cute case.

This begs the question, why would you need $200 on an R1 when it does the same stuff your smartphone does in a different form factor? Additionally, since you need to add a data plan for it to work, that's $200 plus monthly data fees, which add to the cost. 

Lastly, considering its competitor, the Humane AI Pin, hasn't exactly set the world on fire either, we have to ask ourselves: 

What is the actual point of these devices that replicate apps that already exist within your current smartphone? 

Rabbit’s denial (wascally wabbit)

A CGI rabbit holding the Rabbit R1 device in New York City.

(Image credit: Future)

Rabbit CEO Jesse Lyu swats away claims that the R1 is just an app, saying the R1 runs a custom version of Android with some special sauce mixed in and that a simple phone app wouldn't work: "[R]abbit r1 is not an Android app. We are aware there are some unofficial rabbit OS app/website emulators out there," Lyu said, responding directly to a critical story published this week on the R1 in Android Authority.)

We should add that using unofficial Rabbit OS apps could be dangerous. Hackers love this stuff, and these bootleg apps could steal your data. Yikes! So, stick to the official channels, folks.

Now, the R1 can do some cool things — booking Ubers, identifying earworms, and whipping up recipes based on your fridge contents, just like any good AI assistant. Lyu has shown it off by generating images with the Midjourney AI app. However, once again, I must point out that your smartphone does all of this already and has thousands more app options. 

Mark Spoonauer, Global editor-in-chief at Tom's Guide, reviewed the Rabbit R1 and told readers to "Avoid this AI Gadget" in the headline. Spoonauer writes that the R1 feels "unfinished and broken."

The Rabbit R1 is starting to look like just another tech fad that will collect dust in a forgotten drawer. 

MORE FROM LAPTOP MAG

New Apple Pencil to 'shake' things up in a big way

Xbox gaming handheld rumors heat up with Microsoft survey

AMD Strix Halo APU could make low-end discrete GPUs obsolete 

Mark Anthony Ramirez
Former staff writer

Mark has spent 20 years headlining comedy shows around the country and made appearances on ABC, MTV, Comedy Central, Howard Stern, Food Network, and Sirius XM Radio. He has written about every topic imaginable, from dating, family, politics, social issues, and tech. He wrote his first tech articles for the now-defunct Dads On Tech 10 years ago, and his passion for combining humor and tech has grown under the tutelage of the Laptop Mag team. His penchant for tearing things down and rebuilding them did not make Mark popular at home, however, when he got his hands on the legendary Commodore 64, his passion for all things tech deepened. These days, when he is not filming, editing footage, tinkering with cameras and laptops, or on stage, he can be found at his desk snacking, writing about everything tech, new jokes, or scripts he dreams of filming.

Read more
Humane Ai Pin on a chest
The Humane AI pin is dead. I think AI gadgets aren't far behind.
Acer Aspire 14 AI
Intel Arrow Lake just launched, but the problem with its AI isn’t the hardware, it’s the software
Apple Watch Series 8
Siri is the biggest obstacle to making the Apple Watch an AI hit
Man wearing Vision Pro and holding a phone
One year later, Apple's Vision Pro is more lost than ever
Apple iPad 11th Gen in various colorways on top of an Apple logo and a colorful yellow/teal/pink gradient backdrop with the words 'Apple iPad 11.'
The iPad 11 is Apple's most unintelligent move in years — don't fall for it
Project Moohan mixed reality headset
Samsung's Vision Pro alternative may bury its best feature under a ridiculous price tag
Latest in Phone Accessories
Belkin Stage PowerGrip phone power pack
The Belkin Stage PowerGrip was the must-have phone accessory at CES 2025
Circular Ring 2
The Circular Ring 2 is the Best Wearable of CES 2025 — and it has Apple and Samsung making orders
Gray iON Wireless Duo charging stand against green gradient background
3 Pixel 9 wireless fast charging stands I'd buy since Google killed the Pixel Stand 2
Samsung Glasses Lite
How Samsung could finally unlock smart glasses' true potential
AirTags deal cyber monday
AirTag everything! This Apple AirTag four-pack deal is so cheap you should buy it twice
Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses
These smart glasses are my favorite gadget of 2024 — now you can get them for their lowest price ever
Latest in News
WWDC 2025 could mark the beginning of the end for certain iPhone users
Error when installing Google Chrome on the Asus Vivobook 16 Flip, on a white desk against a blue background.
"This app can't run on your PC": Google's Chrome Installer broke on Windows, but there's a fix
Nintendo Switch 2 handheld gaming console
Nintendo Switch 2 preorder date: It might be a lot closer than you think, say tipsters
Microsoft Surface Laptop (7th Edition, 2024)
Windows-on-Arm woes: Amazon warns customers about Surface laptop returns
Apple Watch Series 8
Siri is the biggest obstacle to making the Apple Watch an AI hit
The Lenovo Legion Go S in hand running Death's Door in front of a wood table
The Lenovo Legion Go S is a Z1 Extreme trap you'll want to avoid — Here's why