Rabbit Redux

In the UK in the early 90s, before the widespread adoption of mobile phones, a company launched a revolutionary new mobile network.

It was called “Rabbit.” The devices themselves were pleasingly small and sleek compared the housebrick size phones that had been on the market for a few years. But the Rabbit only worked within 100 metres of a transmitter, of which at launch there were only 2000 around the UK. And you could only make outgoing calls.

However, when the existing mobiles used to cost more to use per minute than most people earned in an hour, Rabbit seemed like a big bunny hop forward. For a while at least. But within less than two years the two big mobile networks, Vodafone and Cellnet, improved their service and slashed their prices. The rest is history and the Rabbit was toast. Or maybe stew.

Now we have another revolutionary handheld mobile, also called Rabbit. R1. Or as, John Updike might have called it, “Rabbit Redux.”

Incorporating AI – which even my breakfast cereal will do soon –  it is primarily voice-activated, saving your thumbs the work of having to scroll through endless apps on your old-fashioned touch screen. It has one of those too – and a camera – but voice commands are its thing. Like having Alexa or Siri in your pocket.

I’m guessing the market for the Rabbit R1 is greater than the UK, but the name works particularly well for the UK market as “Rabbit” is cockney (London) rhyming slang for “talk.” As in “rabbit and pork.” Obvious when you think about it.

It was even immortalised in song in the 1980s by Chas 'n' Dave – the Larry Page and Sergei Brin of Cockney pub singalongs. One of their biggest hits in the 80s was called – you guessed it – “Rabbit.”

So, in a couple of years will we all be laughing at ourselves and our oh-so primitive iPhones and Samsung Galaxys, like we think about our early Nokias now?

Judging by its stellar launch sales you’d think so. The Rabbit R1 sold out its first three batches of 10,000 products each in just four days after announcement, wildly exceeding their expectations. And they are not even available yet.

But, its most powerful selling point, could  also be its fundamental flaw. Easy, intuitive fast it may well be. But one thing it isn’t is private.

Often when you use your mobile phone (unlike Alexa or Siri) you’re a public place – in the office, on the train, in a bar or coffee shop. …

Do you really want to broadcast every thought and action to those around you? Even if you’re not searching for hook-ups or “haemorrhoid cream.” How softly can your whisper your Tinder preferences, that the Rabbit R1 will still be able to hear, but everybody else won’t?

And do you want also to hear what everybody else is up to? OK, that might be more interesting, but it would get a bit tiresome all the time.

Often being the first mover – especially in tech – doesn’t mean you’ll be the most successful. Second movers can learn from the mistakes you’ve paid for and do it better and cheaper.

Of course, I could be completely wrong, and in a couple of year’s time we’ll all be speaking into our Rabbits. But if it could read my thoughts and not just my lips, that would be truly revolutionary.