Control Your Phone Apps with Voice Commands: Rabbit R1 AI Companion 180

Rabbit recently attended CES 2024, where it unveiled the $199 R1 handheld computer, aiming to leverage artificial intelligence to transform the way users interact with applications.

The R1 looks somewhat like a Playdate gaming console, or perhaps a modernized version of a 90s handheld TV. It's a standalone little gadget, roughly half the size of an iPhone, featuring a 2.88-inch touchscreen, a rotating camera for taking photos and videos, and a scroll wheel/button for navigation or talking to the device's built-in assistant. It packs a 2.3GHz MediaTek processor, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage, all housed in a round chassis designed in collaboration with the design firm Teenage Engineering. Rabbit rates the battery as lasting "all day."

The Rabbit R1 can manage and execute functions of various apps on your phone, just as if you were using those apps yourself.

For example, it can open a music player to play a song, check a weather app to report conditions, or browse and reply to messages on social media apps. It performs these tasks through its own operating system (Rabbit OS) and AI model, so you don't have to manually operate your phone.

Rabbit OS is not a large language model like ChatGPT, but rather is based on a "Large Action Model," which the best way I can describe it is as a kind of universal controller for applications.

Rabbit has a Large Action Model (LAM) built in, specifically designed to interact with existing application interfaces and complete specific tasks.

Rabbit's LAM is designed to replicate the process of interacting with applications. The LAM is trained to interact with existing interfaces and complete set tasks, just as you would with any app on your phone.

For example, playing a song on Spotify takes just a few taps. In theory, Rabbit's LAM would know exactly what those steps are and translate them into action through Rabbit OS. The company notes that the model is trained to recognize "all mobile and desktop environments" (which sounds, well, plausible)

Rabbit OS Features:

This operating system uses LAM to perform various tasks and is capable of handling complex operations. LAM has learned how to navigate different APIs and software, enabling users to have the OS execute any task on their phone.

Design and Interface: The Rabbit r1 is a small square device equipped with a 2.88-inch display, a one-tap call button, a far-field microphone, an analog scroll wheel, and a 360-degree rotating camera. The device's design is inspired by Tamagotchi, giving it a retro feel while remaining portable.

Hardware Specifications: Inside, it features a MediaTek Helio P35 chip, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. The device also includes a USB-C port and SIM card slot, supporting mobile network connectivity.

The Rabbit R1 is priced at $199 and is already on sale on Rabbit's website, with shipping expected to begin at the end of March.