Neato's new robot vacuum adds in app-enabled smarts (pictures)
With a Wi-Fi radio built right in, you'll be able to start, schedule and steer the Neato Botvac Connected right from your phone.
Neato Botvac Connected
The newest robot vacuum from California-based Neato Robotics is the Neato Botvac Connected, a cleaner with built-in Wi-Fi and its own, dedicated control app for Android and iOS devices. Click through to see how it works.
There's an app for that
You'll start by pairing the Neato with your home's Wi-Fi network, and with your phone. Once everything's synced up, you'll give your vacuum a name.
New battery and cleaning modes
Along with the app, the new Neato adds in an improved battery, along with a new choice between two cleaning modes. There's a full-powered "Turbo" mode and a battery-saving "Eco" mode that also runs a little quieter.
Navigational smarts
The new Neato navigates just like the old ones, using its laser-guided mapping system to find its way around the perimeter of the room and around your furniture. Once it has the lay of the land, it'll begin covering the floor in rows and columns.
App controls
You can start or pause those cleaning runs from the app, or set up an automated cleaning schedule. You can also launch a manual cleaning mode that'll let you steer the thing around like a toy car.
A vacuum that checks in
When the Neato is finished with a cleaning run, it'll send a notification to your phone.
Pet hair performance
Like previous Neato robot vacuums, the Botvac Connected performs particularly well with pet hair. We put it through its paces by spreading a fifth of an ounce of the stuff across each of our test floors.
A full bin
As you can see, the Neato did a great job at sweeping it all up.
A tangled brushroll
One caveat: in Eco mode, the brushroll had trouble passing pet hair up and into the bin.
The rice test
We also tested its ability to clean up sand and also rice, a good analogue for the kinds of crumbs you might find in a carpet in need of a clean. In the rice test, the Botvac Connected outperformed every other robot vacuum we've ever tested across all of our test surfaces.
The bottom line
With impressive performance and a handy app, the new Neato looks to be a legitimate contender for the housecleaning crown. Is it worth the $700 you'll need to spend in order to get one? Check out our full review to see what we think.