History Of Roborock Robot Vacuums - Android - US apps and news

History Of Roborock Robot Vacuums - Android

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Roborock has quickly become a mainstay in the robot vacuum world. While other brands have been around longer, and have bigger name appeal, Roborock has been around for quite some time and has debuted some features that you’ll find in every robot vacuum available now. Like LiDAR navigation, Roborock was first to do that. They [...]

Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum

Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacum

The first robot vacuum that Roborock made, was the Xiaomi Mi Robot vacuum. It was announced in August of 2016.

It included 12 sensors, including a laser distancing sensor, which allowed it to map out your home. There was a 5200mAh capacity battery inside, which allowed the Mi Robot Vacuum to clean for about two and a half hours on a single charge. It also featured an industry-leading (at the time) 1800Pa suction.

It was powered by the Xiaomi Mi Home app. Roborock didn’t move its robot vacuums to its own app until later on.

Read More: Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum Review

Roborock S5

Fast-forward two years, and Roborock released its first robot vacuum under its own name – the Roborock S5. This is the robot vacuum that led the way on many fronts for the company.

It came LiDAR navigation, a big improvement over the Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum. And it also had mopping available. At the time, that was actually a really big deal. Most robot vacuums only did vacuuming, and not mopping. In fact, even today, many of the “good” robot vacuums don’t offer mopping. You’d need to buy a separate robot for that functionality.

It was also sold under the “Roborock S50” name in some markets. And in our review, we said that it brought in new features, but was still the king of robot vacuums.

When it launched, it had a retail price of $549.

Roborock E2 & E3

Roborock E3

In that same year, Roborock released the E2 and E3. These are their cheaper models, but that doesn’t mean they were bad. They were still very good actually. And at about half the price of the S5. The E2 retailed for $259 and the E3 for $319.

Neither one of these use LiDAR for navigation, and instead used a dual-gyroscope system to navigate around your home. So it still cleaned in the same straight line, that the higher-end models did. But to cut down on costs (other than leaving out LiDAR), Roborock also did not offer the full app customization options that were offered on the S5.

Roborock S6

In 2019, Roborock really got busy flushing out its lineup. Releasing three robot vacuums in its S lineup. First up was the Roborock S6, announced in June of 2019.

The Roborock S6 built on the features of the S5, but it was quieter. Allowing it to run around your home without waking up your newborn. It also featured more refined navigation, so it was better at avoiding obstacles and mapping out your home. This also improved spot cleaning. Roborock built the S6 for those that valued comfort in cleaning.

It was also the company’s most expensive robot vacuum yet, priced at $649.

Roborock S5 Max

In September 2019, Roborock returned to its “classic” S5 series, with the S5 Max. Now you might expect with the word “max” in the name, that it improved just about everything, from the S5. And yes, it did.

With the S5 Max, Roborock introduced its electric water tank system. This was replacing the old gravity-fed water tank. And would allow you to control the water flow from the smartphone app. This allowed customers to change the mopping on a per-room basis.

The Roborock S5 Max would serve as a middle ground between the S5 and the S6, coming in at a price of $599.

When we reviewed the S5 Max, we were pleasantly surprised by how good the cleaning actually was, on this model.

Roborock S4

Roborock S4

Launched in the same month as the Roborock S5 Max, was the S4.

This robot vacuum was specifically built for those that did not need mopping, but wanted all of the high-end features that the S family offered. This was a vacuum-only model, which helped lower the cost on this one, pretty dramatically. Additionally, Roborock revamped the drivetrain on this model, which allowed it to travel between surfaces a lot easier. And it was also able to get out of tight corners and around furnitures much easier.

The Roborock S4 was (and still is) the cheapest in the S family, coming in at $399. Which made it a really good choice for those that didn’t need or want mopping from their robot vacuum. Basically, Roborock decided to keep things simple with the S4, and it worked. It received rave reviews, including from yours truly.

Roborock S6 Pure

Roborock kicked off the new year, with a new robot vacuum. The S6 Pure was announced in January of 2020, and it would be the “basic” model of the S6 series. Roborock explained at the time that the “Max” is the high-end model within a series, and that makes “Pure” the basic model.

As you might expect, the S6 Pure built off of the popular S6 model. Featuring the same upgraded LiDAR system with advanced mapping software, but now at a cheaper price point. Just $599.

The S6 Pure didn’t quite go as basic as the S4 model though, as it did still offer mopping abilities. And of course all of the usual features were still available within the Roborock App.

Buy Roborock S6 Pure

Roborock S6 MaxV

In April of 2020, Roborock debuted the best robot vacuum yet, in its S6 lineup. Which is the Roborock S6 MaxV. When we reviewed this robot vacuum, we were completely stunned at how well it did basically everything.

What made the S6 MaxV so impressive? Well it included a stereo camera on the front, and artificial intelligence inside that would help it recognize obstacles and avoid them. It is able to avoid obstacles like shoes, cords, scales, and even pet waste. Which makes it really great for those with pets.

On top of that, Roborock also increased the suction on the S6 MaxV to 2500Pa, from the 2000Pa available on the rest of its lineup. Another reason why it’s great for pet owners, as it is able to get up even the most stubborn pet hair.

With all of this new tech, the Roborock S6 MaxV did become the company’s most expensive robot vacuum to date, retailing at $749. Even though Roborock has released robot vacuums since this model, this is still our all-time favorite, here at AndroidHeadlines.

Roborock E4

Also debuting in April 2020, was the Roborock E4. This was an upgrade to the E3 model announced back in 2018, so it was definitely in need of an upgrade.

Roborock does offer the E4 in both vacuum-only and with the mopping option. So if you don’t need the mopping, you can save some cash on this one. Like the E3, it does use the dual-gyroscope system for navigating around your home. Roborock did boost the suction to 2000Pa, which is an 11% increase over the E2. Finally, it also included “Carpet Boost”, allowing the E4 to boost its suction when it knows it is on carpet, versus hardwood or laminate floors.

The Roborock E4 was priced at $349, which made it a really impressive robot vacuum for the price. Especially when compared to the competition.

Buy Roborock E4

Roborock S4 Max

In October 2020, Roborock announced the S4 Max. As the name indicates, this is basically the S4, but with more suction. It is a basic robot vacuum, without any mopping functionality. Which helps keep the price low, and is only $30 more than the S4. Coming in at $429.

The Roborock S4 Max sports 2000Pa suction, which makes it pretty powerful, particularly in this price range. While still being fairly quiet.

With the S4 Max, Roborock also debuted its multi-level mapping feature, which is now available on other models, including the S7.

In our review, we called it the “No-Frills” Robot Vacuum, because it has all of the necessary features of a robot vacuum. But none of the extra bells and whistles like object detection that you’ll find on the S6 MaxV. It’s a great option for customers that are looking for something that can do a great job cleaning their home, but at a lower price.

Roborock S7

In January 2021, Roborock released a brand new line in the S family, the Roborock S7. With this line, Roborock is focusing on the mopping ability.

There were two new mopping features, shown off on the S7. The first of which was VibraRise. Essentially, with VibraRise, the S7 would lift the mop off of the floor, when it is not mopping, and/or in a room that is carpeted. This also turns off the water in the water tank, so that it is not dripping water on your carpet, or clean floors.

The second feature is sonic mopping. Which allows for the S7 to provide a deeper clean, by agitating more per minute. And this gets up all of those tough messes and dried on messes that might be on your floor.

We were pleasantly surprised by how great the mopping of the S7 was, when we reviewed it in early 2021. It quickly became one of favorite models, for the mopping alone.

It also showed off a redesigned floating brush that Roborock will likely be using on its future robot vacuums. Instead of using a brush with bristles on it, that can get tangled up in hair, it is moving to a rubber-finned brush. Which is easier to clean. This also allows the brush to get closer to the floor, and pick up more dirt, dust and other debris.

The Roborock S7 is the latest and greatest from the company, and costs $649.