The Rabbit R1 runs on Android, Apparently
In case you missed it, Santa Monica-based startup Rabbit Inc’s Rabbit R1 AI device hasn’t been doing too well in terms of critical reception. Online reviews have cited the device’s missing features and core functionality that left a lot to be desired. With that in mind though, the team over at Android Authority have discovered that the R1 runs on a specific version of Android, tailor-made for the device.
As posted earlier on by Mishaal Rahman from Android Authority, the R1 is powered by Android, with a custom interface that is essentially an Android app. After some tinkering, he adds that he was able to get the software running on a Google Pixel 6a.
Surprise, surprise! The Rabbit R1 runs Android under-the-hood, and its entire interface is powered by an Android app.
I managed to get that app up and running on a Pixel 6a.
More details👇https://t.co/4Ti5RjCSpv
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) April 30, 2024
The experiment seemed to have stopped in its tracks after some time though, with the Pixel eventually sending an error message when trying to connect to Rabbit OS. As a result the device was no longer able to access AI features such as commands and search queries, which are among the R1’s main use cases.
The Rabbit R1 was announced several months ago, and was originally marketed as running on a “natural-language operating system,” giving users access to a platform that rabbit inc. defines as an “app-free” online experience. This new development does shed a bit of light with regards to what’s inside the device in terms of software.