"The R1 moved 100,000 units and kept return rates under 5% in the initial phases, but those early reviews were brutal. Tech YouTube called it "dog water" and "barely reviewable," which is basically the digital equivalent of being declared DOA. The device promised a revolutionary AI experience where you could just talk and have things happen, but what users got was a gorgeous piece of hardware wrapped around software that felt half-baked at best."
"But here's where things get interesting. Instead of pulling a Google and quietly killing the project, Rabbit doubled down. Over 16 months, they pushed 30+ over-the-air updates while building what they call a "very unique community" of users who apparently enjoyed being beta testers for a $199 device. Now they're back with Rabbit OS2, claiming they've completely rebuilt the experience from scratch. The question isn't whether they've improved things, it's whether they've improved them enough to matter."
"The original R1 was almost aggressively voice-first, which sounds cool until you realize that talking to gadgets in public makes you look like you're having a breakdown. OS2 finally acknowledges that humans have fingers by adding proper gesture controls. Swipe down from the top for quick settings (brightness, volume, camera access), and you get bottom navigation buttons for muting conversations, typing follow-ups, or activating the camera."
The R1 sold roughly 100,000 units with return rates under 5% yet received harsh early reviews that criticized uneven software. Rabbit responded by issuing 30+ over-the-air updates across 16 months while cultivating an engaged group of users who effectively acted as paid beta testers. Rabbit OS2 is presented as a ground-up software rebuild focused on practical interaction changes: shifting from an aggressive voice-first model to gesture support, adding swipe-down quick settings and bottom navigation controls, and surfacing conversation transcripts on-screen in real time. The company positions these changes as substantial, but questions remain about whether they meaningfully close the gap with expectations.
Read at Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News
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