Rabbit

Rabbit says only 5,000 people use the R1 daily

Andrew Romero | Sep 26 2024 - 7:49 am PT

Rabbit has, no doubt, been riding on rocky terrain since the launch of the R1 – an AI-driven device that turns spoken commands into complex actions. According to the company, only a small percentage of the devices it sells are used daily.

Since launch, Rabbit has sold over 100,000 R1 units. This was on the premise that the AI concept device would be able to deliver on promises of an interactive device without all of the, well, interacting. The device was ultimately a failure with buggy software and hardware that didn’t deliver. It was clear within weeks that users were not happy with the performance and form factor. The R1 had become somewhat useless to many, leading some to turn it into a more capable Android phone.

In an interview with Fast Company, the publication notes Jesse Lyu stated that of the R1 units Rabbit had sold, only around 5,000 are used daily. If Rabbit had only sold around 100,000 units, only 5% would be in use. It’s likely Rabbit sold more, though that does not account for the number of returns that were made.

The company also noted that since the Rabbit R1’s release, 16 software updates have been pushed out to fix issues that users have encountered. The team is obviously still dedicated to keeping the device up and running, which takes a lot, considering the AI “LAM” foundation isn’t a proven OS that’s easily manipulated.

Of course, a successful device needs to work properly, and considering the R1 proved to be a buggy nightmare for many users, it might be a while. The company is still dedicated to moving towards a more reliable and successful product, but it’s clear the Rabbit R1 just isn’t it.