Rabbit, a startup unveiling its new pocket-sized R1 AI companion at CES 2024, made a splash right out the gate. The company announced that preorders for the first production run of 10,000 R1 devices sold out in just one day.
Retailing at $199, the R1 features a 2.88-inch touchscreen powered by Rabbit's own operating system. The device leverages a Large Action Model that serves as a universal app controller. This allows the R1 to execute tasks like playing music, sending messages, and buying groceries without needing a paired smartphone. Users can also train the gadget to interact with specific apps.
“When we started building r1, we said internally that we’d be happy if we sold 500 devices on launch day,” Rabbit said on social media. “In 24 hours, we already beat that by 20x!"
Given the intense interest following R1's CES debut, Rabbit has opened preorders for a second production run due to ship between April and May 2024. Customers who managed to snag a device in the initial, now sold-out batch can expect delivery starting in March.
With its AI assistant condensed into an accessible handheld form, the R1 clearly has wide mainstream appeal. Rabbit seems poised to become a breakout star in the consumer tech space if this level of demand persists.