After teasing the X8 Pro Omni at IFA and CES, the robot vacuum is finally landing in Australia and it looks a little bit different than its predecessors. The Pro Omni range has historically used Ecovacs' squared off design for better access to corners and edges, but the latest model is going back to the OG flying saucer.
Ecovacs told Reviews the new telescopic roller mop eliminates the need for the quadrangular design. Rather than dual mop heads, the X8 Pro Omni has a rotating roller mop powered by technology from sister company Tineco. The mop head is saturated with clean water as it goes, in turn squeegeeing off the dirty water and sucking it into the dirty water tank. This mopping system uses 4,000Pa downward pressure to agitate stains as it rotates up to 200RPM. For edge cleaning the mop can extend out to sit as close as 0mm from a wall or edge. When we saw this demoed at IFA the mop tended to bounce back and forth a bit on straight walls, but the latest Australian demo looked far more promising. We're in the process of testing it for ourselves, so stay tuned.
The robot vacuum is kitted out with AiVI 3D technology which should see a marked improvement in object detection and avoidance. This new system is capable of deeply sensing objects in the robovacs path, and avoiding them even if it can't identify exactly what it is. While this means the device won't learn common objects in the home, it should now be capable of avoiding any object that falls within its 270 degree field of view. Charging cables are still not covered however. According to Ecovacs if an object can go underneath the robot, it could still get stuck.
At the base station the X8 Pro Omni has 4L water tanks, auto empty, and auto refilling, mop washing and hot air drying. It is also the first Ecovacs device to have an integrated detergent dispenser which automatically fills the correct ratio to the robovac.
Although announced today, the X8 Pro Omni will go on sale March 5, with a retail price of $2,499.
Alongside the X8, Ecovacs is also bringing the T50 Pro Omni, and the T50 Max Pro Omni. These are cheaper models that both benefit from a range of the same innovations seen in the X8. The pair have similar all-in-one base stations, and the same AiVI 3D camera for better object avoidance. While they're all around quite similar, the Max Pro is designed with better suction for carpetted homes, while the T50 Pro has a slim design for getting into nooks and crannies.
Apart from 18,500Pa suction power, the T50 Pro Max has an additional 100w motor with larger fans and inlets. Ecovacs claims this should make a higher clearance rate for dander at around 1cm size - think cereal rings, kitty litter, dry rice etc.
The T50 on the other hand is just 8.1cm tall making it small enough to fit underneath most standard furniture like beds, and entertainment units. This one has a comparitively small 15,000Pa suction which is still quite high compared to previous models.
Both of the T50 devices go on sale on April 3 for $1,499, and $1,799.
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