Rabbits R1 was the secret star of CES at the beginning of the year: The bright orange AI gadget with display, designed by Teenage Engineering, brought a breath of fresh air to the otherwise rather dull tech trade fair. The dedicated AI gadget is now available and initial tests, like the Humane AI Pin, have given it miserable marks.
But that’s not all: Android expert Mishaal Rahman demonstrated on Android Authority that the Rabbits R1 system is basically just an Android app or a proprietary launcher. The manufacturer denies this.
Rabbit R1 software also runs on a Pixel 6a
How Rahman reportshe was given an APK (that’s what Android’s app file packages are called) of the Rabbit launcher, which he was able to get running on a Pixel 6a (our test) with a little tinkering.
According to him, the system worked just like the Rabbit R1. The upper volume control of the smartphone was used to operate the user interface instead of the AI gadget’s dedicated control button. Rahman was able to set up an account on the Pixel R1 and ask the program questions as if he were using the $200 gadget.
Editorial recommendations
Rahman points out that the smartphone app may not offer all the features of the R1. He writes: “The Rabbit R1’s launcher app is said to be pre-installed in the firmware and given some system-level privileged rights.” He could only grant some of these rights, so “some features are unlikely to work.”
On Rahman calls threads further details on the “privileged access rights” and says they are “not really needed for core functionality”. They are needed because the Rabbit application appears to control everything on the R1.
The fact that the software runs on a two-year-old mid-range smartphone suggests that it has more in common with a basic Android device than the manufacturer has previously communicated.
Rabbit CEO denies a bit
Rabbit founder and CEO Jesse Lyu responded to Rahman’s revelations with an official statement and disagrees with the depictions.
He explains, that Rabbit R1 is “not an Android app”. “Rabbit OS and LAM (the Large Action model) run in the cloud with a ‘custom-made’ AOSP (Android Open Source Project) and ‘lower-level firmware modifications.'” For this reason, local bootleg APKs can be run without the proper ones OS and cloud endpoints do not access the Rabbit services. “Rabbit OS is customized for the R1 and we do not support third-party clients.”
Rahman’s Pixel smartphone with the Rabbit launcher is now locked out of the services, meaning he can no longer make any requests. However, be his Rabbit account set up on his smartphone that says he had a Rabbit R1, which he never owned, is still active.
Rabbit R1 with bad marks from tester
As Rabbit’s CEO himself explains, the Rabbit R1 is basically just an Android device. The gadget differs from usual smartphones with its stylish, orange housing, which integrates a camera and a limited-use touchscreen. The AI processes – the core of the device, so to speak – do not run on the device but in the cloud, which basically means that the manufacturer could potentially also offer its functions as an app.
However, this would mean that Rabbit’s business model of selling an AI gadget would be invalid. This is likely to become a problem sooner or later anyway. Because the functions offered so far are manageable and the results of the AI are often simply wrong, like some Testers report.
In addition, Google and Apple are working on integrating numerous AI functions into their operating systems for smartphones, iPads, etc., which could make dedicated AI gadgets unnecessary.