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Amazon's iRobot purchase is dead in the water
EU regulators threatened to kill the deal amid competition concerns in 2023
Throughout its history, Amazon has made several acquisitions while evolving into one of the largest companies in the world. Whole Foods, Twitch, and Audible are just a few examples of some of the entities Amazon has gobbled up along the way. For more than a year, the company has been working on acquiring iRobot, the smart robot vacuum business. After facing scrutiny from regulatory bodies at home and abroad, however, both Amazon and iRobot are pivoting.
Roombas are some of the most popular robovacs. They've been around for a while and were among the first robotic vacuums introduced. iRobot is losing its market dominance to Chinese brands that manufacture robots that vacuum, mop, and clean themselves with almost no human intervention.
The self-emptying Roomba S9+ is now the cheapest it's ever been
The price for the fantastic Roomba S9+ has dropped below $800
The iRobot Roomba S9+ has got to be one of the best robot vacuums on the market right now. At its full price, this is one of the more expensive Roomba models, but it's also one of the most efficient when it comes to cleaning your home, meticulously working over every spot as it removes dust, dirt, hair, and whatever else may be on your floors. Now that it's $200 off, you can pick up this robot and its self-emptying station for just $800.
Kiss dirty floors goodbye with $200 off these Roombas
You can save $200 on a brand new Roomba robot vacuum right now
We all feel like we're running low on time, so having a way to keep your floors clean while handling other chores, cooking dinner, or just kicking back with a book is exactly what dreams are made of. Luckily for us, there are several iRobot Roomba models that are on sale right now, so you can keep tidy while saving big.
ChromeOS is going modular and user-repairable with a new laptop from Framework
Yes, it will support Steam — you'd hope so for $999
Much like Dutch firm Fairphone, Framework has gotten a fair bit of attention as a polished shop putting out decent a Windows laptop that is highly modular, easily repairable, and, if you're handy enough, a terrific value for DIY wonks. Now, the company is partnering with Google to bring its Framework Laptop to ChromeOS.
Amazon agrees to buy iRobot, putting robot vacuum makers on alert
Amazon aims to consolidate its position in the smart home business with this move
Big Tech has been able to achieve and maintain its massive scale by acquiring businesses and their expertise of certain markets and then funding its way to competitiveness. Of late, Amazon has been focused on capturing as much of the smart home market as legally possible. It bought smart security camera maker Blink and video doorbell company Ring ovideo doorbell company Ring in 2017, got into the wireless mesh networking business with Eero in 2019, and has constantly been producing new appliances under its umbrella of brands while undercutting on price. Continuing on this trajectory, Amazon has confirmed that it is buying iRobot, maker of the widely popular Roomba automated vacuum.
This iRobot mop deal puts automatic floor cleaning in mid-range phone territory
It will make sure your floors are always sparkling clean
Mopping the floor is usually a painstaking task, especially when it comes to handling buckets and water. Thankfully, this chore can be fully automated with the iRobot Braava Jet M6 smart mop, which is made by the same company that invented Roomba smart vacuums. The robot usually costs $450 on Amazon, but it's currently $100 off, making it a bargain for such a well-rated product.
The Braava Jet M6 is a connected smart mop, which works seamlessly with Assistant and Alexa. It can be programmed to mop specific areas of your home whenever you decide. Even better: Thanks to its mapping feature, it can be asked to clean in front of the couch or under the dining table, which is particularly convenient if you've spilled your coffee and need it cleaned on the spot.As it's an iRobot product, it works in harmony with Roomba vacuums, meaning it can automatically mop after its partner has cleaned up the dust from the floor, freeing you from the hassle of keeping your floors clean. With the Braava Jet M6 smart mop, you might not be able to eat off that floor, but you can clean the "eat" off it — Thanks, Ryne, for the headline!Buy: Amazon
Get a refurbished Roomba 980 smart vacuum for just $300 ($100 off)
Auto-scheduling, voice control, and more
Vacuuming can be annoying, time-consuming, and very noisy. Luckily, all these attributes can be avoided with a robotic vacuum from Roomba. The Roomba 980 offers powerful cleaning capabilities, advanced auto-scheduling features, and a price tag that comes in at just $299 for certified refurbished units right now on Amazon.These refurbished iRobot Roomba 980s utilize the company's patented AeroForce 3-Stage Cleaning System to rid your carpet and hard floors of dirt and debris. This vacuum should be great for keepers of little critters, too, as the dual multi-surface brushes promise to handle pet hair with ease. And thanks to its smart battery monitoring, it will run for up to two hours before automatically returning to its charging base to juice up and resume cleaning if needed.
iRobot's self-emptying Roomba i7+ falls to a new low of $599 ($200 off)
You don't have to empty the tank for 'up to 60 days'
Robot vacuums are great, but if you have to empty them yourself, what's the point? Thankfully, some fancier models, like this here Roomba i7+, can take care of that for you. When it docks, it automatically disposes of the dirt it's collected in a canister in its charging base. It normally goes for about $800, but today, you can get one for $200 off.iRobot says that the i7+ can empty itself for "up to 60 days," which, judging by the size of the canister, seems a little optimistic. Still, time saved is time saved. It can do other high-end smart vac stuff, too, like room mapping and remote control via the iRobot app, Google Assistant, or Alexa.The i7+ hasn't gone for its list price in a while; you're actually saving about $200.
The Roomba you don't have to empty for two months is just $600 ($200 off) today
And there are two other Roombas you can save big on this Prime Day
iRobot produces several series of Roombas, but brands them differently based on which channel they're selling on. Depending on where you got it, each of them may be just a bit different from each other. Sometimes, they're one and the same. On Amazon for Prime Day, we've got three tiers of Roomba on a deep-clean discount.
iRobot Roomba 960 hits record low price of $326 ($124 off) at Walmart
It's a classic yet functional robovac that won't have long to stay with a deal like this
We do like our robot vacuum cleaners here at Android Police and we certainly are keen to review them these days. If cleaning your floor has become enough of a drain to do, you might be like us, too. Lucky for you today that iRobot's Roomba 960 is available at Walmart for $124 off current market price.
I'm scared of Roomba's new AI-powered robot vacuum
iRobot says the new Roomba can 'evolve and get smarter over time'
As our phones continue gaining new AI-powered features like Google Duplex and kiss detection, it was only a matter of time before our vacuums followed suit. The company behind Roomba, iRobot, is introducing its new Roomba i3+ today, and it's a vacuum that can "evolve and get smarter over time." That's cool, but — excuse me while I go barricade my door in preparation for the robotic vacuum uprising.
Your Roomba is about to get a lot smarter courtesy of an AI-powered app update
More "Sweepnet" than "Skynet," though
iRobot is releasing a redesigned app for its various robotic vacuums and mops, delivering a new "iRobot Genius Home Intelligence" with smart new features, compatible with all Wi-Fi-connected iRobot products. Ostensibly rolling out today, the new iRobot Genius uses machine learning for things like suggesting Clean Zones or Keep Out Zones, learning your cleaning routines, and even building recommended cleaning schedules.
Thanks to iRobot's Roomba and Braava automated cleaners, floor caring is effortless and can be initiated by telling Alexa or Google Assistant to vacuum or mop. The same privilege is coming to the outdoors with the Terra, iRobot's new autonomous lawnmower, which will make grass trimming as painstaking as speaking to a smart speaker or pressing a button.
Smart vacuums like iRobot's Roomba devices are a realization of our Jetsons-style aspirations for the future: they're mechanical servants that can clean our homes with little to no input from us. They can get up there, though, with super luxe models going for $1,000 or more — but Best Buy is running a sale where you can grab one for as low as $150.
iRobot's Roombas are already quite smart to begin with. They map out your house, figure out as best they can which areas they can reach and which areas are problematic, and the WiFi-connected models can be controlled remotely with an app or via Google Home or Alexa or IFTTT. A new capability is on their horizon: a WiFi coverage map of your house. So instead of you holding your phone with a WiFi signal detection app and walking around several times to the different nooks and crannies to figure out the weak or dead spots, Roomba will do it for you. Think about it, it's already roaming the floor with a connection, it might as well do that while it cleans.
IFTTT is one of the best ways to connect your multiple smart services and appliances and make them work together. Sure, there are hubs and services that might offer to bridge the gaps between different IoT companies, but IFTTT really covers the entire gamut, and since it supports Google Assistant, that makes it easier to issue voice commands at your entire house.
I've been eying the iRobot Roombas for over a year now. The idea of a robot vacuum gliding around my apartment and cleaning up while I'm not around sounds all too appealing and nerdy. And because I'm into connected gadgets, I sure want one of the newer Series 900 robots, which would set me back somewhere between 7 and 9 Franklins. Ouch. If you're lucky enough to have that kind of dough to spend on a Roomba, your robot is about to get cooler in the geekiest kind of way: maps and stats. Oh and Alexa.
You know what's better than a robot that looks like a thick frisbee and slides around your house? It's the one that cleans where it walks without hitting walls and furniture on its way, so that you can come home to less dirty floors as if a magical fairy passed by and did her deed. But what if you can have an even better version? Yes, better, because not only it's a robot, it's also WiFi-connected to an app on your smartphone, so you can control it from afar. That's the new iRobot Roomba 980.