$1,000 is just too much for Samsung's feature-rich robot vacuum
Vacuum Cleaners
[MUSIC]
Hey I'm CNet's Ry Crist and we're looking at the Samsung Power Bot VR9000.
This is a new $1,000 robot vacuum from Samsung.
Not the first one that they've done but their newest.
And like you can see it's a little different than the Roomba and Neato models I've got here.
This one's got the cyclone force turbine like motor sitting here, this copper part.
Along as this translucent bin that's sticking out and that's...
Unique.
That's different from these two which kind of hide the bin beneath the hood.
I like that approach quite a bit.
You can see when there's a clog.
You can see when the bin is full, it needs to be emptied.
With Roomba and Neato, you've gotta check.
It's under a hood and you can't just see it.
On the On the flip side though it is a larger robot vacuum.
It's over five inches tall.
It's got about an extra inch of height over these two models.
So, it's gonna have a tougher time fitting underneath your sofa.
It also doesn't have a handle and that comes into effect because it is a heavier vacuum.
It's over ten pounds.
You can pick the Roomba and the Neato up with one hand pretty easily thanks to the fact they've got handles, but the Samsung Powerbot doesn't have a The handle.
You're gonna need two hands to really fix this thing up.
Now the power button navigates a lot like the Neato does.
It figures out the lay of the land and then goes up and down in rows and in a very neat, orderly, precise fashion.
And that works pretty well.
I was impressed with how it found its way around our test space and how it picked up all the stuff that we Asks it to, although it did have some trouble finding it's way around the sides of the base station so up against the walls of the bas station theres some spots that got missed in quite a few of my tests.
You can also navigate the Powerbot using the remote, you can steer it manually like a toy car, or you can shine this laser dot on the floor and tell the robot vacuum where you want it to go, it can track that dot and go right to it.
That's a cool feature, it might be helpful if you have a specific spill that you want the robot vacuum Seem to address.
Other features include a depth sensor here that will tell the vacuum to work a little harder to attack the dirty spots in your carpet, along with this silenced mode that will quiet the vacuum a bit.
Have it run at a less vigorous output to minimize the sound.
I like that.
That's a nice feature if you're watching TV.
Overall I was satisfied with the Powerbot's performance.
It kept up with Roomba and Neato in my tests, although it never beat them.
And that was a little disappointing given that it costs $1000.
These cost 600 or 700.
There's also the Neato XV Signature Pro that costs 450.
Those are much more affordable and they manage to keep up and even beat the Powerbot in performance tests, so I wish it was a little better.
And there's also talk that the robot vacuum might get integrated into SmartThings Connected Home Platform with that camera that it uses acting as sort of a roving security droid.
And it can check out areas of your home while you're away.
So I might wait to see how that develops, see what Dyson brings to the table.
See if there are new models from Roomba and Neato this year and for now probably passing on this power bot.
Thanks for watching.
Check out the rest of our reviews at cnet.com.
For CNet appliances, I'm Ry Krist.
[MUSIC]
