Comparing the launch day features on both AI-powered gadgets, the Rabbit R1 is the clear winner.
It’s hard not to pit the Rabbit R1 and the Humane Ai Pin against each other. After all, Rabbit just welcomed its vibrant orange device into the world with a pickup party in New York City, just weeks after the Ai Pin started shipping to its first customers.
We’re still in the early days of both AI devices, but the R1 already seems far more capable. There’s more integration with popular apps like Spotify and DoorDash, and the R1’s AI is quicker to respond, even to complex questions. We first saw the two go head-to-head when Rabbit’s CEO Jesse Lyu uploaded an informal demo, but we got a better idea of the differences at Rabbit’s launch event. Here are the 10 things we found that the R1 can do, but Humane Ai Pin can’t manage quite yet.
10. Answer Stacked Questions
The R1’s mics can pick up if you’re asking a more complex question.
As a testament to the AI’s fluidity when answering questions, the Rabbit R1 can handle stacked questions. That means you can ask multiple questions in one voice prompt, as demonstrated by Lyu here, instead of waiting between queries and subsequent follow-ups like on the Ai Pin.
9. Transcribe Spreadsheets
The R1’s AI vision understands it’s looking at a hand-written spreadsheet.
For all you Excel nerds out there, Rabbit can transcribe a spreadsheet drawn out on a piece of paper and convert it into a digital version that’s sent to your email. Sure, this may be a niche use case, but the R1 saves you from manually transferring all those columns and rows. Maybe one day the Ai Pin will be able to do work, but for now the ultra-wide camera can’t do what the R1 can.
8. Type on a Keyboard
Turn the R1 90 degrees and a keyboard pops up.
When you don’t feel like using voice or need to enter something like a Wi-Fi password, the R1 has an on-screen keyboard. As Inverse Deputy Editor Raymond Wong said in his Ai Pin review, dictating passwords on that device is not fun or easy to do. Lyu even says that the R1’s keyboard footprint is about the size of the one found on the latest iPhone 15 Pro Max.
7. Become a Cyberdeck With Its Case
The R1’s case also acts as a kickstand.
The plastic case that the R1 comes in isn’t just packaging, Rabbit designed it to serve as a kickstand for the device. Since the case lines up right with the edge of the display, you can still use the keyboard or have it act as an AI cyberdeck for your desktop setup. The Ai Pin’s egg-shaped charging case is cute and stows a Battery Booster, but it doesn’t have further utility other than for charging.
6. Connect to USB-C devices
The R1’s USB-C port isn’t just for charging.
If you don’t want to use the tiny on-screen keyboard, the R1’s USB-C port can connect to wired keyboards (you can still go with a wireless option through Bluetooth). In the future, Lyu says Rabbit is working on unlocking full USB-C capabilities for the R1. There’s no USB-C port on the Ai Pin.
5. Summarize Voice Notes
You can see your voice recording and the main points summarized on R1’s “rabbithole” web interface.
Not only can the R1 record voice notes when you tell it to, but it automatically summarizes the recording for you. When you review your voice note on R1’s “Rabbit Hole” web interface, you can view the main points generated from your long meetings or phone calls. The Ai Pin can save “notes” to its .Center portal, but it can’t record audio.
4. Act as a Voice Remote Control for Spotify
The R1 can do more than just play music on the device.
Playing music is as easy as telling the R1 what song you want to hear. On top of that, Lyu says the device syncs with Spotify’s interface, meaning the R1 can act as a remote voice control for the app, no matter if it’s playing through your laptop, Bluetooth speakers, or headphones. That sure beats only using Tidal on the Ai Pin.
3. Order Food on DoorDash
You can browse the most popular items before making a choice.
You don’t have to comb through DoorDash’s app anymore, you can simply tell the R1 what you want to eat instead. During the demo, Lyu admits that ordering food isn’t as smooth as playing music, but it can still handle basic orders like a 10-piece McNugget meal from McDonalds. Humane has shown off demos of shopping with the Ai Pin’s AI, but not like this.
2. Hail an Uber
Confirm your Uber trip and R1 will start the search for drivers.
In another example of smooth integration with apps, the R1 can call an Uber for you. Tell the device where you’re going and from where, and it’ll start to search for an Uber driver. You can even change the address if you press and hold the button. Humane hasn’t announced any such feature for the Ai Pin yet.
1. Create AI-generated images with Midjourney
Once Midjourney’s AI-generated image is ready, you can even view it on the R1.
Like DoorDash and Uber, Midjourney already works with R1. You can tell the device to create an image through Midjourney with whatever wacky or specific prompt you have. It may take a while to load, but once it’s complete, you can even thumb through the AI-generated options on the R1. Even if the Ai Pin had this feature, its 720p mono-color Laser Ink Display wouldn’t be able to show you any details.
