Automatic cleaning robots have successfully established their positions in other parts of the world. But India is a tough market, and like all other IoT devices, robot vacuum cleaners must prove their worth and show us why they are better than existing alternatives. In India, the alternative is the millions of domestic workers you can find in urban areas. Therefore, competition not only comes from the equipment of other manufacturers, but also from human intervention. In such a complicated market space, Realme TechLife sweeping robots appeared, trying to chase city people. This is what I want to review today. 

The Realme robot vacuum cleaner is equipped with all the features-multiple sensors, a huge 5200 mAh battery, a two-in-one mopping system and more. But the question is, can it gain a foothold in front of tough Indian families? Let us find out in the review of Realme TechLife Robot Vacuum Cleaner.

The Realme robot vacuum cleaner adopts the same large hockey puck design that we have seen in previous Mi robot vacuum cleaners. At the top is an attractive shiny glass with a mapping sensor protruding from the surface in the middle. If you turn the device upside down, you will find a large brush and two side brushes at the bottom.  

On the front of the robot vacuum cleaner, there is a bumper to protect the equipment. The bumper is loosely installed, so repeated collisions will not damage the equipment. In other words, the device as a whole is very sturdy. There is a detachable dust box or mopping kit at the rear, depending on the mode you want to use. 

There are many sensors around the body of the vacuum cleaner. The first is the LiDAR sensor on the top, which is responsible for drawing the area map. Other sensors are located on the side and bottom, mainly to avoid collisions by measuring the distance between the device and the surrounding environment.

In the box, in addition to the vacuum cleaner itself, you will also find a charging base, an adapter and a dust box. There is also an auxiliary box containing a mopping kit, additional mopping mats and brushes for maintenance. The dust box and mopping kit are equipped with dust filters and HEPA filters. For the mopping kit, you can get two washable mopping mats and ten disposable mopping mats.

Once the device is ready to use and turned on, you can immediately start the cleaning process by pressing the power button. However, it is preferred to link the device to the Realme Link app because it allows you to better control the robot. 

If your house attracts a lot of dust, Realme robots can vacuum well. Once the Realme cleaner passes through an area, you can actually tell the difference before and after. This is when the robot remains at the normal suction setting. You can set it to the maximum to produce 3000pa of suction. Of course, this will cause more battery consumption and a lot of noise. Compared with ordinary broomsticks, it is indeed lacking in some aspects (understand?). For example, it is not suitable for tufts of hair or even small-sized food wrappers. You must pick them up manually, otherwise they may get stuck in the main swipe. There is no problem with twisted human hair or dog hair, but if it is a whole piece, it may need to be removed. 

To mop the floor with the Realme Robot Vacuum Cleaner, you must replace the dust box with a mopping kit. It is a bit difficult to insert a mopping kit, but this is not a deal breaker. After the kit is installed correctly, the robot will send a notification. In my first attempt, the robot could not distinguish between the mopping kit and the dust box, but then there was no problem. Realme devices can mop the floor well in most cases. Personally, I prefer wet mopping, and Realme robots only gently wipe the floor at best. The Realme Link app does provide an option to change the water level, but I feel that there is no difference between the normal setting and the maximum setting. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the robot cannot clean stubborn spots. For this, you will have to go back to the vibrant frictions of the past. However, the best part of mopping is that you can combine it with vacuuming because of the small dust box part of the mopping kit.

If your bed or table has enough ground clearance, the robot can easily clean hard-to-reach areas. Another cool thing about the vacuum cleaner is that it can automatically climb onto the surface. There are elevated wood at the entrance of every room in my house. Realme robots can pass through them easily. If your house has carpets, Realme robots can easily flip over them.

When realme says "the next level of intelligence", it refers to the map system of the sweeping robot. To be honest, I was very impressed with it. Although, this is the first time I have seen a machine intelligently avoid the movement of furniture, so I may be a bit biased here. For the first cleaning, the Realme robot will go around all corners and collide with walls and furniture. But once it builds the map, you will see effective cleaning and some collisions in the next cleaning round. After the cleaning is complete, the Realme robot returns to the charging station is also a place to be seen.

Having said that, it does have its limitations, or it can be said that the technology has not yet reached. When the device painted my house, it accidentally went to the bathroom. After I placed it in the previous location, it lost all sense of direction and the entire floor map. One piece of advice is to avoid picking up the robot during the cleaning process. Also for the first cleaning, manually block the area where you don't want the robot. In the subsequent cleanup, you can use the Realme link application to set a virtual wall or restricted area. You can also set to merge rooms and split them in the app. I like the fact that you can sort the areas you want the robot to clean first and set the suction or water level of the room.

The two mopping mats can be removed and cleaned, so you can use them after each mopping. Realme recommends removing excess water from the mopping kit after use, but this is not a hard and fast rule. Cleaning the dust bin or mopping kit is not a hassle. You can use the cleaning brush to remove any excess dirt remaining in the dust box or the dust box that comes with the mopping kit. The shelf life of the filter is six months, but it all depends on the usage and the amount of dirt you clean every day. Thankfully, Realme provides an additional set of filters in the box.

The 5200 mAh battery in the Realme vacuum cleaner cannot be taken lightly. Although the robot is designed to return to the charging station immediately after cleaning, it can stand by for at least two days without charging.

The Realme robot never ran out of battery power while cleaning my entire house. However, if you have a large house, the situation may be different. If the battery level is less than 20%, the robot will return to the charging dock. Since fast charging is not possible, it will take some time for the device to fully charge. The silver lining is that once the battery level reaches at least 80%, it will continue the cleaning process from where it left off. In addition, it is strange that you cannot power off the device from the Realme Link application. The only way to turn off the robot is to press and hold the power button of the robot itself.

As I said at the beginning, the Realme vacuum robot is equipped with all the bells and whistles. In the Realme Link app, you will make a number of settings, such as scheduled cleaning, do not disturb mode, and the option to change from an S-shaped mopping path to a Y-shaped mopping path. There is also an option to manually control the device, at this time you will feel like controlling a remote control toy.

The integration of Google and Alexa assistant is good, it allows you to start the cleaning process with a simple voice command. Strangely, there is no mention of assistant integration in the manual, but it is a simple process. You only need to download the Google Home app and link to the Realme link app. When finished, you will see the device in the Google Home app. From then on, you can say something like "start cleaning" to get Google to activate the Realme robot.

The Realme robot vacuum cleaner is priced at Rs 22,999 and can be purchased on the official websites of Flipkart and Realme.

There is no doubt that the cleaning effect of the Realme TechLife robot vacuum cleaner is better than that of your local household helper. However, if you plan to buy cleaners, you need to consider many factors. For example, our family helpers also clean dishes. Sometimes, she even arranges the furniture. But it may be different for you. Maybe you have a dishwasher or a domestic helper who comes to your house just to clean the floor. Maybe, you do all the cleaning yourself. In all these cases, the Realme robot vacuum cleaner is your best choice.

In India, a good alternative to Realme vacuum cleaners is Xiaomi’s Robot Vacuum Mop P, which is priced at 20,000 rupees. In addition to the appearance of the Realme robot, it also has similar functions, such as a two-in-one mopping system, laser navigation, and customized maps through the Mi Home application. But its battery capacity is smaller, 3200 mAh, and its suction power is weaker.

Thank you for reading to the end of this article. For more such informative and exclusive technical content, such as our Facebook page

Samsung Galaxy F12 and Samsung Galaxy M12

Apple iPhone 11 vs. Apple iPhone 12 Mini

Comparison of OnePlus 8T and OnePlus 9R

Samsung Galaxy A12 and Samsung Galaxy M12

Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S

OnePlus Nord 2 and OPPO Reno 6

Google Pixel 6 and Google Pixel 6 Pro

Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 10

Samsung Galaxy M51 and Samsung Galaxy F62

Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S