The Rabbit R1 Might Have Been an Android App All Along

AI hardware has a lot of potential, but it’s hitting some bumps in the road. Take the Rabbit R1, for example. Before its release, it seemed like a fun gadget, but early users are scratching their heads. They’re wondering why it’s not just an app for Android or iOS. As it turns out, there’s already an app that does the same thing.

The Rabbit R1 was announced earlier this year as a nifty little device to help you out with questions using AI on the go. It boasted Large Action Models, which could be trained to handle tasks in different apps and services. Once trained, the AI could take over, which sounded pretty cool. Plus, at $200, it seemed like a good deal.

But, according to early reviews, it’s not quite there yet. The battery life is terrible, the touchscreen is limited, and the software is all over the place.

The big question everyone’s asking is, why not just make this an app for your phone? After all, the Rabbit R1 is basically just a touchscreen and a camera that fits in your pocket, just like your phone. So why bother with another device?

Android Authority recently got its hands on an APK for the “R1 Launcher,” an Android app that offers the full Rabbit R1 experience and can be used on any Android phone. After some tweaking, they managed to install it. Surprisingly, the app recognized the phone’s T-Mobile SIM card and even allowed the phone’s volume button to substitute for the R1’s side button.

With the app, users could set up their “rabbithole” account, access the settings menu, and use the AI voice assistant, just like they would with the Rabbit R1 device.