All-in-One Robot Vacuum Release Delayed Three Times
Aiming to Solve Mop Odor Issue
Roborock Holds 35% Market Share in Korea
LG Electronics' eagerly anticipated all-in-one (integrated) robot vacuum cleaner release is being delayed. The company explains that this is to completely resolve 'hygiene' issues, but since Chinese companies like Roborock have already dominated the domestic robot vacuum cleaner market, the sales burden after launch is expected to increase.
According to industry sources on the 21st, LG Electronics plans to release a new all-in-one robot vacuum cleaner equipped with an automatic cleaning function in the second half of this year. Initially, LG Electronics had announced that it would launch the product in April to coincide with the release dates of new robot vacuum cleaners from Roborock and Samsung Electronics, but it postponed it to May. Later, the schedule was pushed back to the first half of the year, and recently to the second half.
LG Electronics completed the radio certification conformity evaluation for the integrated robot vacuum cleaner B-95 last March. However, it is reported that the release is being delayed due to unresolved issues such as mop odor. Domestic companies have so far released only products that separate the dust suction and mop functions, judging that all-in-one products combining these functions may have lower performance or cause odors.
An industry official explained, "While domestic companies have been concerned about hygiene issues, Chinese robot vacuum cleaner manufacturers quickly launched products and dominated the market," adding, "Chinese companies have a 'launch first, improve later' approach, which creates a speed gap compared to domestic companies."
Roborock, a Chinese company, holds the number one market share in the domestic robot vacuum cleaner market with 35%. In the premium robot vacuum cleaner market priced above 1.5 million KRW, Roborock's market share reaches 80.5%.
LG Electronics intends to enhance quality further since it is launching late. It is expected to apply a proprietary cleaning agent dedicated to mops in the all-in-one robot vacuum cleaner. LG Electronics has filed a trademark application with the Korean Intellectual Property Office for 'RoboKing AI All-in-One,' covering household cleaning agents, cleaning agent-containing mops, washing agents and detergents, cleaning paper wet wipes, and household autonomous cleaning robots.
An industry insider commented on the delay in the robot vacuum cleaner launch, saying, "Chinese companies are also expanding their market share by emphasizing high-performance, premium products," and added, "Domestic companies cannot help but feel pressured."
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