Over at Android Authority, Mishaal Rahman managed to obtain Rabbit’s launcher APK on a Google Pixel 6A. With a bit of tweaking, he was capable of run the app as if it had been on Rabbit’s personal system. Utilizing the volume-up key rather than the R1’s single {hardware} button, he was capable of arrange an account and begin asking it questions, simply as if he was utilizing the $199 R1.
Rahman factors out that the app most likely doesn’t supply all the similar performance because the R1. In his phrases: “the Rabbit R1’s launcher app is meant to be preinstalled within the firmware and be granted a number of privileged, system-level permissions — solely a few of which we had been capable of grant — so a number of the capabilities would possible fail if we tried.” However the truth that the software program runs on a midrange cellphone from virtually two years in the past means that it has extra in frequent with a plain ‘ol Android app than not.
Rabbit founder and CEO Jesse Lyu disagrees with this characterization. He gave a prolonged assertion to The Verge that we’ve partially quoted under — it was additionally posted to Rabbit’s X account if you wish to learn it in full.
“rabbit r1 shouldn’t be an Android app… rabbit OS and LAM run on the cloud with very bespoke AOSP and decrease stage firmware modifications, subsequently an area bootleg APK with out the correct OS and Cloud endpoints gained’t have the ability to entry our service. rabbit OS is custom-made for r1 and we don’t assist third-party shoppers.”
The R1 isn’t alone; Humane’s AI pin seems to run on a model of Android’s open-source software program, too. Nevertheless it’s the R1 within the scorching seat proper now as the primary critiques have began to trickle out — they usually’re not nice, Bob. Rabbit issued its first software program replace earlier at this time to deal with some complaints, together with a fast-draining battery. That concern appears to be higher managed post-update; my R1’s idle battery efficiency is vastly improved after downloading the replace this morning.
However the larger downside is that the R1 simply doesn’t do sufficient helpful issues to justify its existence when, , telephones exist. It appears like this AI gadget may have simply been an app in spite of everything.
Replace April thirtieth 11:23PM ET: Added a press release from Rabbit CEO Jesse Lyu.
