The Rabbit R1's first software update addresses its disappointing battery life

Just over a week after its initial launch, the Rabbit R1's first software update is here – and not a moment too soon. Topping the list of improvements in the OTA update is “up to 5x” improved idle battery performance, which addresses a major issue for early R1 adopters. This is great news for me too, especially since my R1 is constantly out of power.

Today's update consists of two parts: an OTA update sent directly to R1 devices and a cloud update for Rabbit OS. Battery life is far from the only issue – other highlights include an improved music playback UI, improved Bluetooth reliability, and a fix for the compatibility issue when the device is plugged into a car that bricks at least one R1.

The stability of the voice recorder has also been improved, which is great news as I've never been able to get it to work. The update is now available for all R1 devices – to download it, R1 owners simply need to connect the device to power and Wi-Fi. I plugged mine in, turned it on and the update started downloading almost immediately.

Impressions of the Rabbit R1 – our own and those of other tech reviewers – have been less than stellar so far. However, the company is committed to releasing frequent software updates, and fixing the poor battery life was important. (If I don't plan on using the R1 for a while I leave it off because the battery drain problem is so bad.)

But I don't see anything in today's update that addresses any of the other main complaints: R1 doesn't work well enough yet. Maybe at least something as simple as a timer will be added in the next update.