New ECOVACS 'ultra-premium' X1 vacuums include built-in voice control

While iRobot’s Roomba brand is practically synonymous with robot vacuums, there’s plenty of competition out there. ECOVACS, in particular, seems poised to challenge iRobot’s best with the Deebot X1 line, led by the flagship X1 Omni.

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Reflecting its name, the Omni can both vacuum and mop your floors. At its docking station, it automatically empties debris into disposable dust bags, and cleans, dries, and refills its mops using separate clean and dirty water tanks. Its vision system not only generates 3D maps but recognizes some common objects, which becomes important when selecting an area to clean. Beyond targeting rooms or general areas, you can choose a specific piece of furniture, such as your kitchen table.

Taking the Omni to the next level is its voice control feature. The vacuum has its own voice assistant, Yiko, which means you can issue voice commands without linking it to a third-party smart speaker. These include starting and stopping, toggling settings, or cleaning labeled areas.

You’ll pay a hefty fee for having all these features in one machine: the Deebot X1 Omni is expected to cost $1,549 when it launches in March, surpassing the $1,100 for iRobot’s top-of-the-line Roomba S9 Plus.

The Deebot X1 Turbo and X1 Plus

Those looking to save a few hundred dollars are getting two options. The $1,349 Deebot X1 Turbo is largely the same as the Omni, but excludes an auto-empty station, meaning you’ll need to empty debris yourself between cleanings. The $1,149 X1 Plus takes the reverse approach, including that auto-empty station but omitting an auto-cleaning one for mops.

Oddly enough, the Plus should include something even the Omni lacks: an air freshener module. ECOVACS hasn’t announced a launch window for either the Plus or the Turbo.