Ecovacs Deebot N79S · iRobot Roomba 980

Not recorded for this robot.

The 980 was flagship-priced at launch ($899) but delivered Level II performance; it did not adapt to novel obstacles or multi-floor layout changes.

Hardware reliability is exceptional for 2015, but software obsolescence is complete and irreversible.

Any buyer seeking mapped, systematic navigation

The N79S has no mapping and no adaptive path planning; it cleans by bump-and-go, so coverage is a function of runtime rather than of a plan. App control and scheduling do exist, in the Ecovacs app and on the bundled remote, but neither makes the coverage systematic.

Homes with obstacles or complex layouts

Random-path navigation handles simple rooms adequately but fails in cluttered homes, multi-room layouts, or narrow passages where systematic coverage would be more efficient.

Buyers needing current support

Ecovacs discontinued this model years ago. No warranty coverage, spare parts are difficult to source, and manufacturer support is inactive.

Homes that want room-by-room cleaning or app-drawn boundaries

The 980 rebuilds its map on every run and saves nothing. Without a stored floor plan there is no room selection, no zone cleaning and no keep-out area drawn in the app; boundaries are set with the physical Dual Mode Virtual Wall barriers that ship in the box.

Homes wanting mapping reliability comparable to 2021+ models

vSLAM mapping is capable but discarded at the end of every run. Later robots hold the layout between sessions and route against a known floor plan instead of rediscovering it, whether they map with a camera like the Roomba j7+ or with LiDAR like the Roborock S7.

Owners buying for daily use or long-term investment

A used unit is likely running its original brushes, filter and battery. The replacements are current retail items rather than salvage, so the parts are easy to get; the question is whether a full refresh is worth paying for on a chassis this old.