The Rabbit R1 launched to much excitement at CES24 with a pre-order that sold out its first two 10,000-unit batches in just a day. Priced at just $199, the palm-sized device was offering a lot for just a small investment. However, scalpers have sensed an opportunity, and just hours after the pre-order sold out, R1s started appearing on eBay for as much as $750.

The second batch of 10,000 rabbit r1 devices is sold out! Pre-orders for the third batch are available now at https://t.co/R3sOtVVQTx

Expected delivery date is May – June 2024. pic.twitter.com/PHLOFdyauX

— rabbit inc. (@rabbit_hmi) January 12, 2024

Prices for an aftermarket R1 vary, but the cheapest available on eBay will still set you back $300. The two most expensive offerings, $750 and $500, are listed by the same user who is testing the water. One listing had 10 bids already, pushing the price to an eyewatering $690.

The company’s founder and CEO Jesse Lyu took to X to discourage people from scalping the devices online.

hell no. don’t do this. pic.twitter.com/xMpmGEJrMR

— Jesse Lyu (@jessechenglyu) January 12, 2024

What is the Rabbit R1?

The Rabbit R1 is a handheld device powered by Rabbit’s new artificial intelligence model, the Large Action Model (LAM). This allows the device to learn how to use a variety of apps, from Uber to Amazon.  Humans have trained the LAM on how to operate the apps and can build on this knowledge and understanding, applying these techniques to other apps.

A key feature of the R1 is that users can ‘teach’ it how to perform tasks. One of the demos Rabbit CEO Jesse Lyu gave at CES24 had him scanning a fridge. “This is what I got in the fridge, can you make me a nice dish that’s low in calories?” he asked the device. After a brief pause, the R1 suggested a green garden omelet and provided a recipe.

In essence, it’s a smart device which doesn’t need apps.

The device is small and relatively inexpensive (if you avoid the scalpers on eBay), promising to do a lot for its users. The first batch is due to ship in March so we won’t be waiting too long to see if it can live up to the hype.

Featured image: Rabbit

Ali Rees

Freelance journalist

Ali Rees is a freelance writer based in the UK. They have worked as a data and analytics consultant, a software tester, and a digital marketing and SEO specialist.

They have been a keen gamer and tech enthusiast since their childhood in are currently the Gaming and Tech editor at Brig Newspaper. They also have a Substack where they review short video games.
During the pandemic, Ali turned their hand to live streaming and is a fan of Twitch. When not writing, Ali enjoys playing video and board games, live music, and reading. They have two cats and both of them are idiots.