“This is supposed to be a simpler companion to my phone, yet the R1 often tells me to use my phone when I ask it to do the most basic of tasks,” said Joe Maring, the Section Editor for Digital Trends, after he had the opportunity to test out the Rabbit R1 in the wild. The most significant shortcoming of this product is not its sluggish interface or its lack of functionality; rather, it is the additions that it makes to the day-to-day lives of the typical user.
At the moment, it is not a significant amount, mostly due to the fact that a low-cost Android phone is capable of doing the same duties using applications. These jobs include AI tasks such as summarizing an email chain or placing an order for a burger. “At best, this could have been an artificial intelligence app.” Within the internet discussion boards pertaining to R1, this is a recurrent topic. And it would seem that the R1 itself is evidence of that claim.
Is the Android hidden behind the Rabbit R1?
Mishal Rahman, a specialist on Android, was able to get the APK file of a launcher, which let him run the software of the R1 on a Google Pixel 6a. APK stands for “all the code that makes up an Android app,” which is the most basic definition of the phrase. In essence, a launcher is a component of the software that is responsible for controlling the appearance and operation of the home screen and app drawer system on a mobile device.
From the perspective of R1, the situation is quite perplexing. The Rabbit R1 is equipped with what can be considered a launcher that is based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), as Rahman explains on Android Authority. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that Rabbit’s study outline does not reference AOSP or its links to Android. The confirmation that R1’s software is based on AOSP, the fundamental architecture that underpins Android, did not come from Rabbit until after Rahman’s account became public. To put it another way, the software that comes with the R1 is basically an Android application.
It has been emphasized on several occasions by the business that the artificial intelligence device is powered by Rabbit OS, which is founded on a Large Action Model (LAM). It is a sort of foundation model that is taught to execute certain tasks, such as transforming voice and touch inputs into activities and reacting appropriately to those activities. When it comes to R1, everything takes place in the cloud, in a manner that is analogous to how artificial intelligence systems such as ChatGPT take the text input you provide, process it in the cloud, and then provide a response.
It is interesting to note that the device on which Rahman loaded the APK file was prohibited, either by utilizing the IP address or a device identification. This was an occurrence that was verified by Jesse Lyu, the CEO of the business.
In a statement that was released by the business, it was said that “Rabbit OS and LAM run on the cloud with very bespoke AOSP and lower-level firmware modifications.” The business has not only confirmed the foundations of the AOSP, but it has also stressed that it is aware of “unofficial rabbit OS app/website emulators” that are now available and that bootlegged APK files will not provide access to the rabbit OS platforms.
Do you have a few questions?
Notably, according to this Hacker News forum thread, someone is said to have published the source code of Rabbit R1, but the resources that were linked to on GitHub have subsequently been removed. A YouTube user with the username chainedtears released a video in which a reportedly jailbroken R1 was shown running Android versions of Minecraft and Discord. However, the video has already been pulled from the platform.
Another post that has since been removed from Reddit describes a person who is playing the well-known video game Doom on the Rabbit R1.0. Digital Trends was informed by a source who had access to the APK that it had been decompiled and executed on the official Android emulator. This is the tool that Google provides to developers so that they may test their Android applications before they are released to the general public.
There is a post on Reddit that claims to have run Rabbit OS on a desktop computer using an account that has since been deactivated. It is also possible for Digital Trends to corroborate that several copies of the APK as well as a few instructions about the workaround were distributed via communication on Reddit. Another person, who did not want to be recognized, informed us that the Rabbit team has been aware of the APKs that have been circulating for a few days now.
Rabbit has begun checking International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers in order to certify the hardware keys. Additionally, Rabbit has begun making alterations to the cloud endpoint terminals via software updates. This is being done as a security precaution. In the absence of cloud endpoints, it is quite probable that it will be impossible to access the LAM on any gear that is not licensed.
It seems that the Rabbit R1 is effectively launching two instances of Android applications, one of which is responsible for the system updater function and the other of which is located behind the launcher interface at the moment. As a result, it seems that the R1 is functioning more as a piece of hardware to run what is effectively an Android application, while all of the unique AI-driven functions are taking place in the cloud, which is where the LAM is located.
One of the things that makes this situation so comical is the fact that, despite the fact that Rabbit touts its operating system as a novel and unique one, it really does not accomplish anything that we have not seen before. In addition to doing internet searches, it can also check stock prices, look up the weather, and so on. One may respond, “Why don’t you just use an app for that?” in response to all of this, and at this point, it seems like this is the only thing that Rabbit OS really is.
