Despite all the fuss around AI this year, AI-enabled consumer products have been a bit lackluster, either being an extension of existing designs (think “AI PCs”) or epic flops.
The Rabbit R1, for example, quickly failed and made mainstream news, but one modder is determined to make the device useful with a little bit of old-school Android ROM power.
In case you missed the hype around the launch of the Rabbit R1, here’s a quick recap: The Rabbit R1 is a handheld gadget that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to replace some (or all) of your smartphone’s functions, automatically carrying out tasks that you would normally do yourself via apps or text.
At launch, the bare-bones hardware (basically a bunch of API front-ends and a ChatGPT-style voice interface) was panned as basically useless, and almost all of the promised magical features were broken or unavailable until an unspecified date. Things were so bad that the makers of the Rabbit R1 were accused of committing a multi-million dollar scam.
Despite its numerous issues, the Rabbit R1 is actually pretty cute. With its chunky orange case and prominent scroll wheel, it looks like one of those experimental smartphones you might have seen a decade ago (think Blackberry Passport).
Perhaps that’s why smartphone modder Facundo Holzmeister of the YouTube channel HowToMen decided to run a custom version of Android on the device.
Naturally, the Rabbit R1’s mobile hardware is already running Android under the hood — after all, this open-source OS is the easiest way to customize any kind of small gadget with a touchscreen.
But to make the device look more like a traditional smartphone — small and quirky looking — Holzmeister had to outfit the device with a slightly customized version of the Lineage custom ROM, building on earlier work others have done since the device’s launch.
Running a more mature version of Android 13, the Rabbit R1 is a small, capable smartphone, if a bit slow and unstable. The rotating camera now works, which can’t be said for the “AI detection” feature in the original software.
You can also use the large scroll wheel as a volume dial, and use the device’s SIM card to send and receive texts (unfortunately, calling doesn’t work at the moment.) But perhaps most impressive is that many apps from the Google Play Store can run on the 2.8-inch screen.
At $200, the Rabbit R1 isn’t likely to become a favorite with Android modders like other oddities like the old Barnes & Noble Nook Color or HP Touchpad, and its tiny size and dismal battery life when running a more full-fledged OS make it impractical for everyday use.
But if you’re a fan of strange and unfortunate gadgets, it might fit on a shelf next to HTC’s first Facebook Phone or the OUYA.