Rabbit R1: The $199 device that wants to use your apps

Rabbit wants us to use fewer apps, not more. The startup unveiled the Rabbit R1 at CES in Las Vegas on Tuesday, a $199 device designed to carry out digital tasks from spoken commands without forcing users to open and navigate each app themselves.

Designed with Swedish firm Teenage Engineering, the device stands out with its orange casing and compact form factor. But it is not intended to compete with the smartphone as another phone: Rabbit presents the R1 as a physical controller for digital services. The company says the first units available for preorder have sold out.

An assistant designed to act, not just respond

The R1 runs Rabbit OS, a proprietary operating system based on what the company calls a Large Action Model, or LAM. The term recalls the large language models behind chatbots such as ChatGPT, but Rabbit is trying to solve a different problem.

A language model generates or interprets text. Rabbit’s action model is designed to understand the steps required within an interface and complete them: search for a song, request a ride, order food or manage a purchase. Rather than simply recommend an app or display instructions, the device promises to carry out the task.

The distinction matters. Voice assistants have been able for years to answer simple questions, set alarms and control smart-home devices. But they typically rely on specific integrations with each service. Rabbit says its model can learn to use apps as a person would, navigating their screens.

The company will provide a web portal called Rabbit Hole where users can connect their service accounts. Rabbit says credentials will not be stored on the device and that users can remove the connections whenever they want.

Screen, wheel and rotating camera

The R1 has a 2.88-inch touchscreen, a scroll wheel and a physical push-to-talk button. It also includes a camera that can rotate to face forward or backward, which Rabbit calls Rabbit Eye. The camera is intended for visual tasks, although voice is the primary mode of interaction.

Inside is a MediaTek Helio P35 processor, 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. It connects to 4G mobile networks and Wi-Fi, so it is not designed as an accessory that has to remain tethered to a phone. Rabbit has announced that it will not charge a monthly fee to use the device.

Price is also part of its strategy. At $199, the R1 costs considerably less than a midrange phone and sits well below mixed-reality headsets and other experimental AI hardware devices. Rabbit expects to begin shipping in March.

The promise depends on real-world reliability

The idea of a device that handles tasks for us is appealing because it targets an everyday frustration: many digital tasks are repetitive and require users to switch between services, passwords and screens. If the R1 can understand a request and complete every step correctly, it could save time on simple actions.

But that ambition is also its toughest test. A conversation can tolerate an imperfect response; hailing a car to the wrong location, ordering the wrong product or making an incorrect payment cannot. For the action model to be useful, it will need to interpret requests accurately, adapt to changes in app interfaces and make clear to users what action it is about to take.

Digital services also frequently change their designs, terms and access mechanisms. The R1’s value will depend on Rabbit keeping that learning up to date and making the experience more convenient than taking out a phone and opening an app.

The launch comes as artificial intelligence begins moving beyond chat windows and into physical products. Rabbit is not proposing an assistant that holds better conversations, but one that does specific things. In the coming months, the R1 will have to show whether that difference is enough to justify carrying a second device in your pocket.