Already sold 10,000 times for almost 200 euros: The AI Tamagotchi is only half the size of an iPhone 15

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What happens when AI-supported voice models, voice assistants and smartphones merge into one device? The answer could look like a Tamagotchi. A product from the CES

This year’s CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is already over. Unsurprisingly, this year’s important technology trade fair was dominated by artificial intelligence.

A bright red handbag-sized device is still causing a stir today. The (Rabbit r1) is preparing to overtake the smartphone.

More: While voice assistants such as Google Assistant seem to be losing functions under the influence of AI at the moment, Rabbit wants to release a truly smart device for consumers with its hand flatterer.

But what is this Tamagotchi-like device actually all about?

Size, function, technology & price of Rabbit r1

As (Mashable) writes, the r1 is about half the size of an iPhone 15. In a post on Twitter (now X), the device is sometimes placed next to a Game Boy Color for size comparison. Incidentally, the design of the r1 was actually inspired by the Tamagotchi

costs 199 US dollars (around 180 euros). The first 10,000 device units have already been sold, as the company wrote on X. The products will be delivered at the end of March. A second batch of products will be added in the spring.

But what attracts the buyers to this machine?

▶ What can Rabbit r1 do?  R1 is to be understood as an AI-supported assistant. The device should be able to perform multi-step tasks independently. The whole thing should work with both mobile and desktop applications, i.e. across platforms.

The manufacturer even says that Rabbit r1 makes it “fundamentally unnecessary for users to download and use multiple apps”.

For example, you can have the device search for a suitable vacation destination, as well as the flight and suitable accommodation.

▶ Which operating system is running in the Rabbit r1? An operating system based on a language model is the core. In practice, this is an operating system that “navigates all your apps quickly and efficiently so you don’t have to”. This is how the manufacturer describes its rabbit OS.

The OS is powered by a so-called “Large Action Model (LAM)”. The highlight: according to the manufacturer, this model can read how you use your apps. From this, the LAM deduces how you typically behave when using apps – and imitates your behavior independently

Jesse Lyu, the founder behind the start-up Rabbit, says:

“We have reached a point where we have hundreds of apps on our smartphones […]. That’s why we are often frustrated with our devices. […] Large language models, such as ChatGPT, show the possibility of understanding natural language thanks to AI. Our Large Action Model goes one step further: it doesn’t just generate text in response to human input, it does things for the user. “

Designer Dogan Ural even describes the r1 product presentation as “the iPhone moment for the AI era”

▶ Technical specifications: So expectations are high. But what are the actual technical specifications in Rabbit r1?

  • Processor: 2.3 GHz MediaTek Helio P35
  • Memory: 4 GB
  • Storage space: 128 GB
  • USB-C port and SIM slot
  • The built-in battery should last a whole day of use

What’s next for the Rabbit r1?  The devices, which should be in the hands of US customers by the end of March, should already work with the most popular apps. Exactly what these are is not mentioned in Rabbit’s press release&nbsp. Customers outside the USA should receive the device later in the year. An exact date for this is currently not given.

What do you think of this brand new Aparillo? Is this a tech device that will be as revolutionary as the introduction of the first iPhone? Does the startup responsible have the potential to turn the technology market upside down? Or is the ambitious Tamagotchi one of many AI flash in the pan? Let us know your opinion in the comments.