Rabbit R1 Review: From Disappointment to Useful

Overview

The Rabbit R1 launched in 2024 to mixed reviews. Two years and 20+ software updates later, it's now genuinely useful as a pocket AI companion. At $199 with no subscription, it's a low-risk way to experiment with the AI pin category.

From Disappointment to Useful: The Rabbit R1 Story

The Rabbit R1 launched in April 2024 at $199 and was immediately controversial. The "Large Action Model" that was supposed to control apps on your behalf barely worked at launch. The camera's vision features were slow and unreliable. Battery life was poor. The hardware felt like a prototype. Reviews were mixed — Marques Brownlee called it "barely reviewable."

Two years later, the picture is different. Rabbit has shipped over 20 software updates that addressed most launch complaints:

• The Large Action Model now works reliably for Uber, DoorDash, Spotify, and a handful of other services — you can order an Uber by voice, hands-free
• The camera's vision uses GPT-4o and can identify objects, translate signs, and answer questions about what you're looking at
• Battery life has improved from 4 hours to 8+ hours of mixed use
• Real-time translation works in 112 languages

Is the Rabbit R1 essential? No. For most people, an iPhone with ChatGPT installed will do everything the R1 does. But for $199 with no subscription, it's a low-risk way to experiment with the AI companion form factor.

The Large Action Model: Useful But Limited

The Rabbit R1's defining feature is the "Large Action Model" (LAM) — an AI system that can control apps on your behalf. At launch, the LAM was unreliable and worked with few services. Two years later, it works reliably for:

• Uber: Order a ride by voice — "Get me an Uber to JFK Airport"
• DoorDash: Order food — "Order me a margherita pizza from Domino's"
• Spotify: Play music — "Play my Discover Weekly playlist"
• YouTube: Search and play videos
• Maps: Navigation — "Navigate to the nearest gas station"

The LAM is genuinely useful for these services — particularly the hands-free Uber and DoorDash integration, which works well in cars and while walking. But the LAM only works with these specific services; if you want to use it with your favorite app, you're out of luck. Rabbit is slowly adding more services, but the pace is slow.

GPT-4o Vision: Genuinely Useful

The R1's camera now uses GPT-4o for vision tasks, and it's the feature that has improved most since launch. Use cases that work well:

• Object identification: "What kind of plant is this?" — works for common plants and animals
• Translation: "Translate this menu" — works for printed text in 90+ languages
• Quick facts: "How tall is that building?" — works for landmarks
• Math problems: "Solve this equation" — works for printed math problems

The vision feature is similar to Google Lens or ChatGPT's vision mode, but in a pocketable form factor with a physical camera button. It's not essential — your phone can do the same thing — but it's convenient and works reliably.

Value: An Experiment Worth $199

The Rabbit R1 is not essential. An iPhone with ChatGPT installed does most of what the R1 does, and the iPhone is faster, more reliable, and has a better interface. But the R1 offers something the iPhone doesn't: a dedicated, distraction-free AI companion with a physical form factor.

For $199 with no subscription, the R1 is a low-risk way to experiment with the AI pin form factor. If you find you don't use it after a few months, you're out $199 — not the end of the world. If you find yourself reaching for it daily, it's a bargain.

We recommend the R1 for: tech enthusiasts, travelers who want real-time translation without holding a phone, people with accessibility needs who benefit from a dedicated voice-first device, and anyone curious about the AI pin category.

Pros & Cons

Specifications

The Verdict