Rabbit R1 AI box revealed to just be an Android app

AnActOfCreation@programming.dev to Technology@lemmy.world – 854 points –
Rabbit R1 AI box revealed to just be an Android app
arstechnica.com
  • Rabbit R1 AI box is actually an Android app in a limited $200 box, running on AOSP without Google Play.
  • Rabbit Inc. is unhappy about details of its tech stack being public, threatening action against unauthorized emulators.
  • AOSP is a logical choice for mobile hardware as it provides essential functionalities without the need for Google Play.
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What I don't get is why anyone would like to buy a new gadget for some AI features. Just develop a nice app and let people run it on their phones.

That's why though. Because they can monetize hardware. They can't monetize something a free app does.

Plenty of free apps get monetized just fine. They just have to offer something people want to use that they can slather ads all over. The AI doo-dads haven't shown they're useful. I'm guessing the dedicated hardware strategy got them more upfront funding from stupid venture capital than an app would have, but they still haven't answered why anybody should buy these. Just postponing the inevitable.