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by Sander Saar
The host introduces the Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum and sets up a comparison against established high-end robot vacuums. Along the way it covers Unboxing and Setup, Hardware Comparison and Software and App Features, and more. Final thoughts on the performance, value, and trade-offs of the Xiaomi Mi Robot compared to the iRobot Roomba.
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The host introduces the Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum and sets up a comparison against established high-end robot vacuums.
On screen: A man in a white t-shirt sits between two robot vacuum boxes, gesturing while discussing price comparisons.
An overview of what comes in the box with the Mi Robot and how to configure the initial setup using the app.
On screen: A top-down view shows hands opening the brown cardboard packaging of the Xiaomi Mi Robot vacuum, revealing the user manual, protective foam, and the robot vacuum cleaner.
A detailed comparison of hardware specs including dimensions, battery life, suction power, navigation sensors, and dust storage.
On screen: An overhead view shows hands removing and opening the dustbins and filters from both the Roomba and Xiaomi robot vacuums side by side.
A breakdown of the companion apps, highlighting mapping features, scheduling, and language limitations.
On screen: A side-by-side split screen shows hands navigating settings and history menus on the iRobot and Mi Home smartphone apps.
Both vacuums are put through a side-by-side cleaning test with debris to evaluate suction performance, speed, and navigation accuracy.
On screen: A person starts cleaning using the Roomba mobile app on a smartphone before the camera shifts to an overhead view of the robotic vacuum cleaning debris on a wooden floor.
Final thoughts on the performance, value, and trade-offs of the Xiaomi Mi Robot compared to the iRobot Roomba.
On screen: A man sits between packaging for the Roomba and Mi Robot vacuums while gesturing and delivering concluding comparison points.
What the footage shows, shot by shot. It is derived from the video itself, independent of the commentary. Timestamps link to the exact second.
0:00–0:03 A man in a white t-shirt sits between an iRobot Roomba box and a Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum box while talking to the camera. On screen: iRobot Roomba
0:03–0:11 The presenter continues speaking while gesturing with his hands between the two robot vacuum boxes. On screen: iRobot Roomba
0:11–0:22 A presenter sits between boxes for the iRobot Roomba and Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum, speaking towards the camera while gesturing. On screen: iRobot Roomba
0:22–0:27 An animated graphic intro features textured layers and title banners displaying the review topic and creator name. On screen: XIAOMI MI ROBOT REVIEW AND COMPARISON BY SANDER SAAR I BELIEVE IN TECHNOLOGY
0:27–0:39 A man sits between an iRobot Roomba box and a Xiaomi box while speaking energetically with hand gestures against a white backdrop. On screen: iRobot Roomba SUNWODA Nidec BOSCH SHARP DESAY SMP
0:39–0:52 A man in a white t-shirt sits between two robot vacuum boxes, gesturing while discussing price comparisons. On screen: $899 (£799) $250 (£200) iRobot Roomba
0:52–1:04 A man in a white t-shirt speaks to the camera while text points appear beside him and a product box rests at his side. On screen: Unboxing Hardware Software Test Comparison
1:04–1:06 A medium shot of the man sitting between the iRobot Roomba box and the Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum box as he speaks. On screen: iRobot Roomba
1:06–1:18 A top-down view shows hands opening the brown cardboard packaging of the Xiaomi Mi Robot vacuum, revealing the user manual, protective foam, and the robot vacuum cleaner. On screen: 米家扫地机器人使用说明书 mil
1:18–1:27 In an overhead shot, a person unpacks and displays the contents of the robot vacuum box, including the cleaning tool, base station, cable, manual, and the vacuum itself.
1:27–1:37 A person points a smartphone with Google Translate's camera feature at a Chinese instruction manual placed beside the robot vacuum. On screen: Chinese English quick start guide 1 2 3
1:37–1:41 A close-up view of a person using the Xiaomi Mi app on an iPhone to select and connect the robot vacuum. On screen: Cancel Add 米家扫地机器人 Turn on the device and open the upper cover, make sure it's available to connect Light status error Blue light blinking Next
1:41–1:47 A close-up view of hands holding a smartphone displaying connection progress above the Xiaomi robot vacuum. On screen: Cancel Connecting 2% Connecting... Keep your router, phone, and device close with each other Initialized successfully 更多产品使用视频请见设置->产品指南 机器人将如何清扫
1:47–1:55 The host sits between the packaging boxes of the iRobot Roomba and Xiaomi Mi Robot, talking directly to the camera. On screen: iRobot Roomba
1:55–2:00 Side view of the black Roomba 980 and white Xiaomi Mi Robot side-by-side on a grey sofa with dimension graphics. On screen: 1 3 1 3 . 1 3 . 8 i n ( 3 5 c m ) 1 3 . 5 i n ( 3 4 . 3 c m )
2:00–2:03 Both robotic vacuums positioned next to each other fitting under the gap beneath a sofa on wooden flooring. On screen: iRobot Roomba
2:03–2:09 Top-down overhead view showing the Roomba 980 and Mi Robot on grey fabric with weight annotation graphics. On screen: 8.5 lbs 8.4 lbs 8.5 lbs (3.86 kg) 8.4 lbs (3.81 kg)
2:09–2:20 A side-by-side comparison of the black iRobot Roomba and white Xiaomi Mi Robot vacuum cleaners resting on a gray sofa with graphic annotations highlighting battery specs. On screen: 2h single charge 2.5h single charge
2:20–2:32 A young man sits between two robot vacuum boxes, gesturing with his hands as he compares specifications. On screen: iRobot Roomba
2:32–2:38 A close-up camera pan shows the side profiles and air vents of the black iRobot Roomba 980 and the white Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum resting on a fabric sofa.
2:38–2:48 A man sits between two robot vacuum product boxes and gestures while comparing their suction specs. On screen: 1,800 Pa iRobot Roomba 1,680 Pa
2:48–2:50 A medium close-up of the presenter gesturing with his hands while discussing hardware differences. On screen: iRobot Roomba
2:50–2:55 The camera pans horizontally from the white Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum to the black iRobot Roomba resting on a grey couch.
2:55–2:59 A top-down shot shows both robot vacuums side by side on the fabric surface with hands briefly adjusting them. On screen: iRobot Roomba
2:59–3:01 A static macro close-up highlights the front ultrasonic sensor grille of the white Xiaomi robot vacuum.
3:01–3:04 A close-up view focuses on the side bumper and wall sensor of the white Mi Robot vacuum.
3:04–3:08 The host sits at a table speaking to the camera while gesturing with his hands between product boxes. On screen: iRobot Roomba Vacuum Cleaning Robot Robot Aspirateur Robot Aspirador
3:08–3:12 An extreme close-up focuses on the top-mounted rotating Laser Distance Sensor (LDS) turret of the robot vacuum.
3:12–3:21 A close-up camera movement rotates around the laser distance sensor turret on top of the Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum.
3:21–3:24 A close-up shows the top surface buttons and sensors of the iRobot Roomba 980 vacuum.
3:24–3:26 An extreme close-up focuses on the iAdapt vision camera sensor embedded on the Roomba 980.
3:26–3:29 An extreme close-up focuses on the optical camera sensor of the robot vacuum.
3:29–3:41 The presenter sits between the two vacuum boxes and gestures while explaining their navigation differences. On screen: iRobot Roomba
3:41–3:42 A medium shot of a man talking animatedly with robot vacuum boxes behind him. On screen: iRobot Roomba Robot iRobot
3:42–3:50 A close-up tracking shot moving from the underside of the black iRobot Roomba to the white Xiaomi Mi Robot vacuum. On screen: AeroForce THREE-STAGE CLEANING SYSTEM WITH CARPET BOOST 980 米家扫地机器人 FC CE
3:50–3:56 A high-angle static shot displaying the undersides of both robot vacuums side by side on a grey surface. On screen: AEROFORCE THRES-STAGE CLEANING SYSTEM WITH CARPET BOOST
3:56–4:21 An overhead view shows hands removing and opening the dustbins and filters from both the Roomba and Xiaomi robot vacuums side by side. On screen: 0.6 liters 0.42 liters iRobot Roomba
4:21–4:24 A man sits between two product boxes, speaking and gesturing directly toward the camera. On screen: iRobot Roomba
4:24–4:33 Top-down view of the underside of two robotic vacuums as hands depress their suspension wheels. On screen: AEROFORCE THREE-STAGE CLEANING SYSTEM CARPET BOOST
4:33–4:36 A straight-on side-by-side shot shows both robot vacuum cleaners and their charging base stations resting on a couch.
4:36–4:48 Side-by-side comparison of the Xiaomi Mi Robot and iRobot Roomba charging bases as each vacuum docks.
4:48–4:57 The presenter sits between the iRobot Roomba and Xiaomi Mi Robot boxes, actively gesturing while comparing the base stations and cable management. On screen: iRobot Roomba
4:57–5:11 A man in a white t-shirt sits between boxes for the iRobot Roomba and Xiaomi Mi Robot, talking and gesturing to the camera. On screen: iRobot Roomba
5:11–5:23 A man sits speaking to the camera between the iRobot Roomba box and the Xiaomi Mi Robot box, gesturing as he discusses language barriers. On screen: iRobot Roomba
5:23–5:26 A man sits and gestures towards the camera between two robotic vacuum cleaner boxes. On screen: iRobot Roomba
5:26–5:29 Two smartphones are held side by side displaying the mobile app interfaces for both robot vacuums. On screen: 18:58 Roomba Ready to clean. Charging. CLEAN 19:29 27% Sander's Mi Robot 充电中 18 64% 24' 清扫面积 剩余电量 清扫时间 回充 清扫 标准
5:33–5:47 A side-by-side split screen shows hands navigating settings and history menus on the iRobot and Mi Home smartphone apps. On screen: Schedule 定时清扫 开启时间 10:00 More Care Help History Settings Locate Roomba 勿扰模式 开启后，设定时间内将不会自动清扫及主动播放语音 开始时间 22:00 结束时间 08:00 清扫记录 24 累计时间 18 平米 累计清扫 2 累计次数 10月11日…
5:47–6:01 A split-screen comparison shows hands navigating the cleaning history and mapping features on the iRobot and Xiaomi companion apps on two iPhones. On screen: History Lifetime Performance Log Number of Cleaning Jobs 70 Jobs Total Job Time 29 Hours Total Area Cleared 1,092 m² Dirt Detect Count 37 Events Recent Job…
6:01–6:08 A man sits between packaging boxes for an iRobot Roomba and a Xiaomi vacuum, gesturing towards each as he discusses their area mapping differences. On screen: iRobot Roomba
6:08–6:20 A close-up shot of a hand holding a smartphone navigating the Xiaomi vacuum cleaner app interface showing maintenance and component status. On screen: 定时清扫 加湿模式 风机全速模式 消毒杀菌开关 清扫记录 耗材状态 产品指南 通用设置 定位我的机器人 滤网 预计剩余 150小时 100% 边刷 预计剩余 200小时 主刷 预计剩余 300小时 立即购买
6:20–6:27 The presenter sits between two robot vacuum boxes and gestures animatedly while talking to the camera. On screen: iRobot Roomba Vacuum Cleaning Robot Robot Aspirateur Robot Aspirador
6:27–6:33 The presenter outlines the test parameters while gesturing with his hands beside the vacuum packaging. On screen: iRobot Roomba
6:33–6:42 A high-angle view shows the presenter kneeling on a wooden floor and scattering oats, grains, and dried debris from glasses.
6:42–6:43 The presenter sits between the boxed robot vacuums and enthusiastically talks to the camera with open hands. On screen: iRobot Roomba
6:43–7:13 A person starts cleaning using the Roomba mobile app on a smartphone before the camera shifts to an overhead view of the robotic vacuum cleaning debris on a wooden floor. On screen: Roomba Cleaning in progress CLEAN
7:13–7:19 A split view displaying a robot vacuum cleaning wooden flooring alongside a smartphone showing cleaning history stats. On screen: History 11 October 2016 Duration 47 Minutes Started 18:10 Status Completed Area Cleaned 27 m² Dirt Detect Count 11 Events
7:19–7:23 A hand holds a smartphone displaying the Mi Robot companion mobile app interface. On screen: 19:02 Sander's Mi Robot 充电中 0m² 清扫面积 80% 剩余电量 0' 清扫时间 回充 清扫 标准
7:23–7:27 An overhead view shows the wooden floor with scattered white powder remnants.
7:29–7:51 A top-down view shows the white Xiaomi robot vacuum navigating across the wooden floor and cleaning up scattered debris.
7:51–8:00 A close-up view of a hand holding a smartphone that displays the mapped cleaning trajectory in the companion mobile app. On screen: 19:31 Sander's Mi Robot 充电中 18 m² 清扫面积 64% 剩余电量 24 m² 清扫时间 回充 清扫 标准 65%
8:00–8:19 A man sits between packaging for the Roomba and Mi Robot vacuums while gesturing and delivering concluding comparison points. On screen: iRobot Roomba 47 min 27 m2 899 USD 24 min 18 m2 299 USD
8:19–8:29 A man sits between an iRobot Roomba box and a Xiaomi robot vacuum box while speaking to the camera. On screen: iRobot Roomba Vacuum Cleaning Robot Robot Aspirateur Robot Aspirador
8:30–8:44 The presenter sits between the iRobot Roomba box and the Xiaomi Mi Robot box, gesturing as he concludes his comparison. On screen: iRobot Roomba
8:44–8:53 A man in a white t-shirt sits between the iRobot Roomba box and the Xiaomi vacuum box, gesturing and speaking to the camera. On screen: iRobot Roomba Vacuum Cleaning Robot Robot Aspirateur Robot Aspirador
8:53–9:01 A man sits between two robot vacuum product boxes and speaks cheerfully directly to the camera. On screen: iRobot Roomba
9:03–9:06 An animated graphic outro displays channel branding against a textured background. On screen: I BELIEVE IN TECHNOLOGY BY SANDER SAAR
0:00 Speaker A: Hi everybody. Speaker A: I'm Sanda and I believe in technology. Speaker A: If you've been on this channel before, you would know that I'm a big Xiaomi fan already. Speaker A: And Xiaomi is now aggressively also entering into the home appliances space. Speaker A: They released Xiaomi MI robot vacuum to compete with the western flagships like Dyson360i and also the iRobot Roomba 980. Speaker A: Let's take a closer look and see how they compare.
0:28 Speaker A: Xiaomi has yet again worked with the world's top manufacturers like Bosch, Sharp, Nidec, Sunwood and so on to put together an extremely competitively priced but also top spec robot vacuum cleaner. Speaker A: It costs about $250 or $350 if you're ordering through the resellers. Speaker A: Compared to, for example iRobot Roomba at $900 or Dyson360i at $1000, it's a fraction about quarter of the price. Speaker A: Let's see how they stack up by first of all unboxing the MI robot and then taking a comparing look at the hardware, the software, and also running a real life test in my apartment to see the quality and the time it takes to clean the apartment.
1:04 Speaker A: Let's take Xiaomi MI robot out of the box. Speaker A: It comes in a relatively plain and simple box, as similar to all the other Xiaomi products in a similar size as the iRobot 980. Speaker A: First of all, it includes a manual that is only in Chinese because it's made for that market only. Speaker A: Then the robot itself and also the charging cable and also the base station that the robot connects to. Speaker A: Setting up is never as easy as the products made for these markets.
1:30 Speaker A: So usually again, use the Google Translate Live similar that you use with the drone or all the other Xiaomi products to understand how it works. Speaker A: But then you just need the Xiaomi MI app for your iOS or Android device, connect to the same WiFi and also allow your robot to connect to the same WI fi and you're done. Speaker A: When looking at the hardware, the MI robot is similar or better in almost every category compared to the iRobot Roombar 980.
1:56 Speaker A: When you look at the size difference, there's only 0.2 inches difference in its diameter and also height, which is about 5 millimeters. Speaker A: They're also similarly weight. Speaker A: There's only about 0.1 pound or about 100 gram difference in each of these. Speaker A: The significant differences come when you look at the battery life. Speaker A: The mi robot promises two and a half hours working time on one charge, which is with a 5200 milliamp hour battery and the iRobot 980 promises two hour working time.
2:23 Speaker A: These two are top range ones and very similar in that category. Speaker A: While compared to the Dyson360i which only promises you 45 minute working time. Speaker A: Looking at the performance metrics, there's also difference in the air suction power. Speaker A: While mi robot promises 1800 Pascal, then the iRobot 980 promises you 1,680. Speaker A: It seems to be a small difference, about 10%. Speaker A: But you'll see in the test whether it has any implications in real life.
2:48 Speaker A: Another major difference in hardware is also how they track the world around you. Speaker A: While they both have bumpers and ultrasonic sensors to not bump into the things around you and also cliff sensors underneath so they're not going to go down your stairs or any other steps. Speaker A: They also have very different technologies on tracking the objects in the room. Speaker A: First of all, MI robot is using something called lds which is called laser distance sensor which it can very accurately map the room.
3:15 Speaker A: It's a very similar sensor that is rotating on top that you also see on self driving cars. Speaker A: While the iRobot Roomba 980 is using a vision based sensor that they call iAdapt 2.0 which we'll see in real life. Speaker A: Test which one is more accurate and performs better. Speaker A: But they both promise to know exactly where they left off, go back to charging so they can continue work from when they started and also be very methodological and efficient. Speaker A: In a way they clean your room.
3:41 Speaker A: There are also differences the way they're collecting dust and the way they're storing dust. Speaker A: IRobot980 is using counter rotational rubber brushes. Speaker A: And while the MI robot is using a single brush but also has the nylon brushes in between, we'll see in real life which one is more efficient. Speaker A: The storages are 0.42 liters for the Mi robot and 0.6 liters for the iRobot Roomba. Speaker A: Slightly larger one. Speaker A: They're both much bigger than the Dyson's 0.3 liter storage.
4:06 Speaker A: But the major difference in storage for me is that while MI robot you can just open it on top, take it out and clean the full system from the top. Speaker A: Then on iRobot1 yes it comes out from the back, but I would still need to turn it around in order to clean the inside where the dust is hosed when moving around. Speaker A: They're both using thick height adjustable rubber wheels which are very similar and will never get stuck really as never get stuck in My life when going through carpets, small bumps and generally around the room.
4:33 Speaker A: Also the base stations are very similar size. Speaker A: The only difference is where iRobot needs to go on top their contacts because it's housing them on a horizontal side and then the MI robots are on vertical side, so it needs to turn itself around and push itself against the wall. Speaker A: Another good note about MI Robot space station is that it can also house the cable, the extensive cable, and you don't have the cable tangling around as you would have with iRobot 980. Speaker A: On software side, they both come with Android and iOS support.
5:01 Speaker A: While Mi Robot is actually based into the MI home app on iOS and Android, which is mostly in Chinese, then iRobot has a separate independent app that you have to download. Speaker A: The challenge with, obviously with MI Robot is that everything is Chinese. Speaker A: First of all, when you're using it, you need to use either another phone on top of it to see Google Translate live, or take a screenshot and then use it in Google Translate to understand how it all works. Speaker A: The functionality of these apps is actually very similar.
5:26 Speaker A: First of all, you can initiate a cleaning wherever you are in the world. Speaker A: You can just push a button and your vacuum will start cleaning away. Speaker A: The second thing is you can also do timing in terms of week and date and also specific times when the vacuum will go out and clean your apartment. Speaker A: The challenge with Mirobot is that you have to use on iOS the Chinese mainland time zone. Speaker A: They both also show you the history of completed work in the app, while iRobot shows you the time and square meters.
5:52 Speaker A: Xiaomi will do the same, but in addition to that also show you the exact map and the trajectory it's been going through throughout the cleaning process. Speaker A: For one of them, my apartment is 27 square meters. Speaker A: For the other one, it shows 18 square meters. Speaker A: In real life test, you'll find out which one is more accurate. Speaker A: Besides that, Xiaomi has also added a feature that also controls how often your brushes, your side brush and your main brush, as well as the filter need to be clean.
6:18 Speaker A: So you know when you need to order new ones. Speaker A: So let's take them out to a real life test because that's where all the data and the app is forgotten and you actually want to clean your floor. Speaker A: We're going to do two things. Speaker A: Find out the quality of the cleaning and also the time it takes you to clean the efficiency. Speaker A: I've recreated some extreme conditions. Speaker A: I've dropped down some porridge oats or also some quinoa granules and also some Dried leaf that I've just cracked up myself. Speaker A: So let's get them going.
6:44 Speaker A: While iRobot is much louder when it's going around, it also can adjust the strength of the suction when it defines or finds something that is more dirty. Speaker A: It definitely found that there is more dirt on where the porridge is and where the leaves are and spent a lot more time cleaning that. Speaker A: But it did not manage to clean it fully. Speaker A: There were still some porridge oats around. Speaker A: And also he does actually use the brush to actually throw around the guinoa granules, so I had to clean them up later myself.
7:11 Speaker A: As a total time, it took 47 minutes and it showed that he was cleaning 27 square meters. Speaker A: Now moving on to the MI robot. Speaker A: MI Robot took a much better job. Speaker A: It first of all mapped the whole apartment so I could actually see and follow it on the map the trajectory that it's taking. Speaker A: And finally, when it finished cleaning, it took all of the porridges, all of the leaves, and only two or three granules that I was able to find on the floor.
7:36 Speaker A: So it did a really, really good job. Speaker A: It's much more silent and it only took half the time, about half the time, 24 minutes. Speaker A: And it showed that the whole area was 18 square meters. Speaker A: Obviously I know it myself that it is 18 square meters where I'm living. Speaker A: So it was much, much more accurate on the MI Robot side. Speaker A: And it also drew the map that of the whole apartment and also the trajectory that it took for cleaning it. Speaker A: So to conclude, as you've seen from the real life test and also the specs, MI Robot has really managed to execute well.
8:06 Speaker A: Again, they're much more efficient in terms of the time it takes. Speaker A: Higher quality of the cleanliness, much cheaper, a fraction of 25% of the price of the iRobot at $250. Speaker A: But the only downside is that everything is in Chinese. Speaker A: So if you're using it in any Western world, you. Speaker A: You just have to take up the time in the first place to understand where everything is in the app. Speaker A: Once you do that, you'll be fine. Speaker A: But in this case, I will be selling my iRobot Roomba, who's been serving me well for almost a year.
8:35 Speaker A: But as the technology moves on, more competition comes to market. Speaker A: We all benefit as consumers. Speaker A: So Xiaomi has really managed to disrupt that market. Speaker A: Thanks again very much for watching. Speaker A: I hope you enjoyed this video. Speaker A: Please let me know by clicking on this I button here. Speaker A: Which of the robot vacuum cleaners you would like to buy? Speaker A: If you'd like to buy one yourself. Speaker A: And also please subscribe to my channel and also check out my other videos that I've done recently on technology. Speaker A: Thanks again and see you next time.