Neato's D5 Connected nets the most robovac for the least amount of cash
There's plenty to like onboard the new Neato D5 Connected robot vacuum, especially its reasonable price.
How much in the way of high-tech gear and features can you pack into a robot vacuum for the least money possible? The $599 Neato D5 Connected, unveiled at IFA 2016, aims to answer that question. Inside its D-shaped body is the hardware necessary for automated and scheduled floor cleaning, as well as a wireless link to a companion mobile app, plus a high-capacity lithium ion battery to run for the duration. That's very competitive with other intelligent and app-commanded robot vacuums such as the $900 iRobot Roomba 980 and $1,000 Dyson 360 Eye.
Like its robovac siblings, the $399 Neato D3 Connected and previous Neato Botvac Connected, the Neato D5 Connected can analyze and commit your home's floor plan to memory in real time. It then uses that knowledge to efficiently sweep dirt and dust particles from hard and carpeted flooring across multiple rooms while avoiding obstacles, as long as it remains on the same level.
Another feature this robot shares with its family is a built-in Wi-Fi radio to link to your home network and the Internet beyond. The feature allows Neato Connected vacuum owners to control and schedule the device via a companion Android and iOS application using smartphones or tablets.
We caught up with the new Neato D5 Connected at IFA 2016.
Price does matter
One big difference between the D5 and D3 Connected models, however, is the former's high-capacity lithium ion battery. It matches the large lithium ion power cell at the heart of Neato's first smart robovac, the Botvac Connected, which earned our Editors' Choice Award for outstanding performance despite a few minor stumbles.
Command the Neato Connected robot vacuums via the mobile app/
Apparently Neato has taken these complaints to heart, since the latest D5 unit can track and report its cleaning performance data -- a trick we wished the Botvac Connected could perform. There's a new "find me" function in case the vacuum gets entangled and loses power somewhere out of sight. Hopefully that won't happen often since the D5 also features the "charge and resume" function previous Neato robots had.
Like its budget sibling the D3, Neato expects to ship the Neato D5 for $599 (converted, that's about £449, AU$791) by early October to US and European markets first. Neato plans to roll out the robovac to China and Japan later that year.