The Rabbit R1, a new hardware-based AI assistant from startup Rabbit AI, has seen unexpectedly high demand following its reveal at CES earlier this week. The initial 10,000 units sold out within a day, and a second batch met the same fate shortly after. Currently, a third batch is available for pre-order.

The affordable price tag of $199 is likely a major contributor to the R1’s early success. In comparison, the recently launched Humane Ai Pin starts at $699, making the Rabbit a significantly more budget-friendly option.

Rabbit co-designed the R1 with the Swedish company Teenage Engineering. Its goal is to act as a bridge between users and their smartphones, including iPhones and other devices. The Rabbit R1 and its operating system, Rabbit OS, are designed to simplify user interaction with applications.

The R1 has a square, compact design. It’s covered in a red-orange casing and is about half the size of a regular smartphone. Under the hood, a 2.3GHz MediaTek Helio P35 processor and 4GB of RAM power the device, with 128GB of storage and a small 2.88-inch touchscreen.

However, the Rabbit R1 doesn’t handle much processing itself beyond natural language recognition. Instead, it utilizes a “Large Action Model” (LAM) that connects to various third-party app and web-app APIs, including generative AI services like ChatGPT. 

This approach, dubbed “outsourcing” by Rabbit, allows the R1 to perform a wide range of tasks without the need for powerful onboard hardware. Users link these services through the Rabbit Hole web portal. Wi-Fi and an optional SIM card slot provide connectivity options.

The R1’s capabilities range from basic tasks like setting alarms and playing music to more complex ones like booking appointments and controlling smart home devices. Additionally, the open platform allows for expansion as new services and apps become available.

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