There's no shortage of virtual assistants capable of doing almost exactly what Rabbit's R1 claims to do. Google and Amazon are also injecting their own virtual helpers with generative AI smarts to make them even better at handling complex requests more easily. But Lyu sees the need for a purpose-built device for getting things done that's separate from your phone and therefore less distracting. He argues that just because your phone can do the same thing doesn't mean it's the superior experience.
It's an interesting concept that might be popular with people who buy modern minimalist phones but I feel like a virtual assistant fills this niche alright already.
I feel like the extra step to use a device like this or a virtual assistant wouldn't make it efficient. Especially if there's any kind of processing time after a query.