I'd be lying if I said I'm not a sucker for trying out a new gadget - both inside and outside of my job. I'm very intrigued by the new wave of AI devices that are undoubtedly coming our way - and I was looking forward to trying out the Rabbit R1 which ships in the UK and Europe this week. The reviews so far have been... well, not entirely glowing, to say the least. Me and my family spent the weekend with it - my feature for the BBC below. tl:dr - it made me appreciate my phone. The smartphone has become an unsung workhorse in our lives, and it's only when you try something else that you realise just how *clever* and versatile those little rectangles actually are. Also a couple of bits of context which didn't make the final edit but I think are important to a tech-focused crowd: 1. The Rabbit R1 has faced accusations that it is essentially a glorified Android app, and tech journalist Mishaal Rahman from Android Authority reported managing to install the tech behind it onto a Google Pixel phone. I put this to the firm. It strongly denied this, saying that while there are some “unofficial emulators” around, its system is “very bespoke”. 2. I also asked it about allegations that the company was previously involved in fundraising for a big NFT project that never delivered. On this subject, it said that more than 80% of its current employees had joined since December 2023. https://lnkd.in/efyjJq5G
🔵 Simon Balmain
1mo
Hey Zoe 👋 I'm really glad we got to do this and glad you got to spend some time with r1. That being said, I think the market in general is looking at this all wrong. r1 is not a smartphone killer in the same way a smartphone is not a laptop killer. We don't look at it as the same category, in fact, it's very intentionally designed to not be a smartphone. If that message isn't coming through, that's on us and we need to do better. Here's how I see it: There has never been, until now, a portable tech device that is: - voice control as the primary input - AI as the primary technology Do smartphones have voice? Yes, but it's secondary to touches, taps and swipes and generally isn't controlling the operating system. Do smartphones have AI? Yes, as yet another part of an app-based operating system. Even with Siri or Google Assistant integrations, it remains secondary to a mature and well defined "way of doing things" centred around individualised apps, many of which are designed to take up your entire attention and thus prevent you from remaining present. We think there's another way and that's what we are trying to build.
Terry Chapendama
1mo
It was hard to understand the real problem it was solving. The fact that it has taken Apple this long to make a dent in on-device AI is a hint, it cannot be as simple as we might think.
James Pearce
1mo
I was talking about the role of the smartphone with someone from Orange the other day, in the context of how important it is and whether things like the Apple Vision Pro might replace it. The general agreement seemed to be... not any time soon. Looks like the Rabbit is a flop, too.
Tom Hester
1mo
While the future may not be exactly this, your article has sparked an inexplicable desire in me to own one of these gadgets.
Matt Bailey
1mo
My wallet sends its regards
Simon Geary
1mo
The Rabbit and Humane products have both tanked but the founders still deserve credit and encouragement for being innovative and trying something new. I hope they both try for a version 2 instead of selling up.
I help businesses revive their redundant IT assets, protect their data, save the environment, stimulate a circular economy, improve digital equality and boost their ESG Score
1moSeems like this one is still some way off. Have you tried the AI Pin? That looks like a much more versatile device