Wybot S3 robot pool cleaner review: Premium hands-free cleaning

8.5

Having a pool is wonderful when you want to use it, but not so great when you have to maintain it. Vacuuming the leaves and scrubbing the sides is a chore that can consume hundreds of hours a year. Robot pool cleaners have solved this time drain, but there’s still a bit of work involved.

Most robot pool cleaners still need to be manually lifted out of the water. Especially when waterlogged, they can be quite heavy. They also need recharging, and the waste basket emptied, so it’s not an entirely hands-off process.

I recently tested the Wybot S3 robot pool cleaner to see how much of this process can be automated.

Wybot S3 features

The Wybot S3 is a robot pool cleaner that self-docks, charges, and transfers its waste basket contents to outside the pool. When you first open the box, it is a little daunting, but once you start assembling it, it’s like a small Lego set that comes together easily.

Image: Angus Jones.

Lifting a pool cleaner in and out of your pool to charge, especially when it may be full of water, is heavy, and you’ll likely get wet. The Wybot S3 solves this by docking itself underwater in a wall-mounted cradle.

From this cradle, it charges its battery and empties its waste basket contents into the docking station’s storage cassette at the edge of the pool. Wybot claims that between the 10-litre cassette and 3-litre waste basket, you won’t have to manually empty anything for up to a month. This, of course, depends on how much leaf litter and debris falls into your pool.

Either way, this robot is self-sufficient for a period when other robots would need charging and waste emptying after every clean.

Waste transfer to base station. Images: Angus Jones, Wybot.

Running a power cord to your robot pool cleaner is, honestly, a hazard. A cord lying on the ground with running kids sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. In theory, the Wybot S3 is self-sufficient with its solar panel if you clean your pool only once a week. With full sun, the solar panel will recharge the batteries in both the base station and robot in about three days. This will take longer if the panel is shaded for part of the day or the weather is cloudy.

I like the idea that if the base doesn’t get enough sun, you can temporarily run a cable to boost the unit. A removable cord also improves the aesthetics, removes the trip hazard and saves you from making cosmetic changes around your pool.

The internal battery lets the robot run for up to 2.5 hours and supports pools up to 300 square metres (about a 15m pool), which is more than enough for the average Australian pool. Charging the robot from the mains takes about three hours. Whilst working, the robot will suck 14,000 litres per hour.

Cleaning pool step. Image: Angus Jones.

The Wybot uses technology it calls AI Vision on the pool floor. This allows the robot to target areas of your pool that need cleaning using 36 sensors. In simple terms, it can chase leaves and save power by not cleaning every square centimetre in AI Vision mode.

You can select five cleaning modes: Floor, Wall, Wall then floor, Advanced Full, Turbo Floor. The AI mode can be switched on and off but only works with the Floor modes and not Advanced Full. Advanced will reach every spot, ensuring any fine grit is removed.

Wybot S3 specifications and price

Cleaning area	Up to 300 square metres
Battery life	2.5 hours
Basket capacity	3 + 10 litres
Dimensions	76 cm x 48 cm x 74 cm 21kg
Price (RRP)	$4,999
Website	Wybot Australia
Warranty	Two years

Using the Wybot S3

When you first commission the robot, it will create a 3D map of your pool to help it navigate. With each additional clean, it refines that map and its navigation techniques to ensure it reaches all underwater spots, including steps.

App with 3D image of pool. Screenshot: Angus Jones.

The docking station also enables underwater communication, something most robot pool cleaners can’t do. You can change cleaning modes on the go in the app. The app lets you see real-time progress and manually steer your robot to areas of the pool that may need special attention.

In the app, you can also schedule cleans over seven days and use different modes on different days. For example, on Monday you could clean the pool floor, on Wednesday the walls, and on Saturday do a complete clean. A key feature of the wall cleaning is that the robot lifts itself above the water line. This is an area where water, air, and sunlight combine to grow algae. This cleaning motion removes that algae and keeps your pool looking nice.

Scheduling. Screenshot: Angus Jones.

Whilst the robot pool cleaner seems maintenance-free and doesn’t need to be removed from the pool, that is not actually the case. The robot comes with three filter screen levels. The first is the standard 380 microns, which is the size of the holes in the basket. This is great for catching leaves, which are easily transferred to the base station waste drawer. 180-micron inserts allow finer particles to be captured in the basket, and a separate 10-micron filter can also be added into the unit to capture fine silt and pollen.

These finer filters don’t clean properly with the automatic water waste transfer to the dock. To clean them, remove the robot from the pool and flush the basket and filters with a good-pressure garden hose. Wybot recommends doing this every two weeks. If your pool starts dirty, add the filters after every few cleans to avoid the fine filters getting blocked immediately.

The standout negative of this pool robot is its price. With an RRP of $4,999, that puts the Wybot S3 at the super premium end. Other robots in this price bracket will also clean the surface, but the S3 has self-docking and basket cleaning.

Wybot does offer specials, though; at the time of publication, it listed the S3 for $3,799.99. In the past, Wybot has also done bundles with a solar-powered pool skimmer that collects leaves from the surface of the pool. I’m a big fan of pool skimmers because they catch debris before it sinks to the bottom.

Who is the Wybot S3 for?

The Wybot S3 is for people prepared to pay for extra convenience. If you have a robot pool cleaner, it saves you from cleaning your pool by hand. The Wybot S3 also saves you from removing the cleaner from the pool to charge and emptying the waste basket every time. This model is also suitable for people who would struggle to remove a robot pool cleaner from the pool.

If you have good sunlight to charge the dock, you may get away with not running a permanent power cord, which suits those with access issues, aesthetics, and safety.

Wybot S3

The Wybot S3 robot pool cleaner does more than most robots; it automatically exits the water and empties its waste, but it's quite pricey.

Features

9

Value for money

6

Performance

9

Ease of use

9.5

Design

9

Positives

Can charge without removing from pool

Waste is transfered to a surface storage tray

Can be powered by solar making it wireless

Negatives

Very expensive

8.5

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Cheapest NBN plans: Compare Australia’s fastest internet prices

Keen to find a better deal on your home internet? We’ve compared the cheapest NBN plans from many of the biggest telcos to find the best deals for you in each speed category.

One of the best ways to save money on your internet bill is to shop around frequently. Many internet service providers (ISPs) offer introductory deals, including generous discounts for the first six months. Afterwards, it’s always worth comparing providers so you’re not left paying more than you should. Most ISPs don’t use lock-in contracts, making it relatively easy to swap to a better-value plan.

After the big NBN speed upgrade, it’s now easier than ever to enjoy fast internet at decent prices. Some older NBN plans got five times faster for the same price. Not a bad deal for those eligible.

Image: Jay Marshall.

But there’s not much point in paying for speeds you don’t need. Make sure you regularly assess whether your current internet plan serves your needs, as recommended by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

With that in mind, here are the current cheapest NBN plans in Australia from a wide range of telcos. We also have some affordable tips and tricks on how to maximise your current internet speeds. Looking for a new phone plan, too? Compare the cheapest SIM plans to save even more money.

Cheapest overall NBN plans

Right now, SpinTel sells the cheapest NBN plan; its 25Mbps plan costs $41 per month for the first six months. After discounts, $69.95 per month is the ongoing price. Dodo and Moose NBN also sell some of the cheapest plans, offering discounted rates of $45 or less per month.

Take a look at the widget below for more of the cheapest NBN plans. We update this article monthly, but the widget updates automatically, giving you up-to-date and accurate information.

Many of the retailers display promotional prices aimed at new and returning customers. These offers generally involve paying a discounted rate for six months before reverting to a standard price. To view the details of promotional offers, click on the green text labelled ‘deal’, which will also show the standard price.

Each plan featured here includes unlimited data. Some providers let you save a few dollars every month by choosing a plan with a data cap. If you know you don’t need much data, use this search tool to find plans with monthly data allowances.

NBN 25 plans

Suited for streaming videos in HD and basic online tasks, an NBN 25 plan gives you a bit more flexibility and much more value for money.

As above, SpinTel’s NBN 25 plan is the cheapest, costing $41 per month for the first six months. Once the discounted period ends, the plan costs $69.95 per month ongoing. Other cheap NBN 25 plans come from Dodo ($43.99) and Moose NBN ($44.80). Once their six-month discounts end, Dodo charges $73.99 per month, while Moose costs a reasonably priced $64.80 per month.

Without discounts, most of the cheapest NBN 25 plans cost between $65 and $70 per month, so it’s a relatively cost-effective speed tier.

NBN 50 plans

Once Australia’s most popular internet plan, NBN 50 balances value with performance. These plans support 4K video streaming and can sustain multiple simultaneous users.

At the moment, Belong sells the cheapest NBN 50 plan, priced at $55 per month for the first six months, and then $91 per month thereafter. Dodo and Moose NBN also sell NBN 50 plans below $60 at the time of writing, at $57.99 and $59.90 per month for the first six months, respectively. After discounts, they’re a bit cheaper than Belong, with Dodo’s ($87.99) and Moose NBN’s ($83.80) full pricing sitting below $90.

Most full-priced NBN 50 plans start at around $85 per month, so it’s worth shopping around.

NBN 100 and NBN 500 plans

This is where the NBN speed upgrade starts to kick in. For customers with Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) or Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) connections, the NBN 100 tier becomes NBN 500 plans at no extra cost.

Both sets of speeds are ideal for streaming multiple 4K videos and downloading files quickly. If you get 500Mbps speeds, those downloads will be five times quicker. Only slightly more expensive than the 50Mbps tier, NBN 100 plans are still good value for most people; NBN 500 is even better value, given the small gap in pricing.

To start with, let’s look at the cheapest NBN 100 plans — these speeds apply to those with Fibre to the Node (FTTN), Fibre to the Building (FTTB), and Fibre to the Curb (FTTC) connections:

You can currently choose from four discounted NBN 100 plans priced at $65 or less per month, including Belong ($59), Origin ($59), Dodo ($62.99), and Moose NBN ($63.80). Each telco’s discount lasts six months before the full price kicks in. Origin is the most expensive of the lot, at $114 per month, while Dodo costs $92.99 at full price, and Moose $86.80.

There are a few sub-$90 NBN 100 plans going around, but the majority start at $90 per month without discounts.

If you have a direct fibre connection, here are the cheapest NBN 500 plans:

As you can see, the prices are more or less the same as NBN 100, which makes it pretty good value for those who can get NBN 500 plans.

As long as you have the technology to support faster speeds, the prices for NBN 500 plans are no more expensive than the slower NBN 100 tier.

NBN 750 plans

500Mbps download speeds aren’t fast enough for you? For even faster speeds, you could try NBN 750, which was NBN 250 before last year’s wholesale speed upgrade. This is the tier you consider when you want to download the latest video game or save a whole bunch of media for offline viewing.

SpinTel and Dodo currently sell the cheapest NBN 750 plans at discounted monthly rates of $69 and $69.99 apiece. Afterwards, SpinTel’s ongoing cost is $94.95, while Dodo costs $99.99.

Without factoring in discounts, expect to pay between $100 and $110 per month for most NBN 750 plans.

NBN 1000 plans

NBN 1000 plans also come with 100Mbps upload speeds, giving you fast downloads and a strong upload rate. Consider these plans if you regularly work with large files, like content creators, and don’t want to waste time waiting for downloads or uploads to finish.

You’ll notice that not every telco promises 1,000Mbps download speeds during peak times. That’s because the NBN speed upgrade is still relatively new, so the industry is still collecting real-world performance data. Rest assured, though, that these plans are fast.

Of all the NBN 1000 plans, Amaysim is currently the cheapest, with its plan at $70 per month for the first six months as part of an early Black Friday deal. After the discount, Amaysim’s plan costs $100 per month.

Belong’s NBN 1000 plan costs $75 per month, while SpinTel is only a dollar extra at $76, with each plan costing $110 and $104.95 per month, respectively, after discounts. Another option is Dodo’s $79.99 monthly plan for the first six months, which costs $109.99 afterwards.

Elsewhere, most NBN 1000 plans cost upwards of $110 per month.

NBN 2000 plans

One of the new additions following the speed upgrade, NBN 2000 plans, also known as ‘Hyperfast’, is for absolute power users. Capable of handling multiple 8K video streams and downloading large files in the blink of an eye, it’s much faster than anything previously available to the wider Australian public.

Because it’s new and a bit on the pricier side, not many ISPs sell NBN 2000 plans just yet. Still, there are some discounts available, with prices already varying between telcos.

Mate currently has the cheapest and fastest NBN 2000 plan, selling it for $141 per month for the first six months, and $166 thereafter. Superloop is close behind, with a $148 monthly NBN 2000 plan. That price lasts for six months before increasing to $168 per month.

With not as much competition as other speed tiers, some NBN 2000 plans are as expensive as $194 per month.

What you need to know

If you want broadband internet in Australia, your main and most reliable choice is via the National Broadband Network (NBN). Although the NBN provides the internet backbone, it does not sell plans directly to the public. Instead, telecommunication vendors package up retail and business plans, which include different features and levels of customer support.

NBN availability

The NBN is available to all Australians, but the way you access the NBN may be different. This might include a fixed cable into your home, wireless access via an antenna on your roof or a satellite dish.

To see what technology is available to you, start by visiting the NBN getting connected page. After entering your address, you will be shown the technology available at your address. You will also see which providers or NBN retailers sell access in your area. In Sydney alone, we were presented with 123 different retailers.

Speed and reliability

It is important to understand that the speed and reliability of your NBN plan can differ by retailer. Each buys internet capacity from the NBN. This capacity is then shared with a certain number of the retailer’s customers. This means that a retailer may have faster speeds in one suburb versus another based on how many customers are accessing the overall capacity. It’s always good to ask your neighbours who they are with and their experience with a particular NBN retailer.

It’s also worth checking the ACCC website regularly. They publish quarterly broadband performance results, measuring how well telcos deliver on advertised internet speeds. You want to be certain that you’ll get the speeds you pay for, so this is a good starting point.

For those customers looking for an NBN alternative, we suggest the following GadgetGuy guides: How does 5G fixed-wireless stack up as an NBN alternative and Caravanner’s guide to connecting to the internet anywhere.

Having good internet speed is more than just a fast broadband connection. For more, be sure to check out GadgetGuy’s guide to improving your internet for more information.

Which NBN plan?

When evaluating an NBN plan, consider the following criteria:

• Data Limits – Is there a monthly download limit of data, or is the plan unlimited?
• Download Speed – Best measured at its busiest in megabits per second (Mbps) typical evening speed. Is it enough to watch Netflix? (Netflix requires 10-25Mbps depending on resolution quality.) Larger households with members using the internet simultaneously will require higher download speeds.
• Cost – How much do you pay each month, and is there a connection fee?
• Contract – Are you locking yourself to a retailer for a period, or is it month-to-month?
• Telephone – Is a fixed-line telephone service bundled into the plan?
• Customer service – What hours are supported, and is it an Australian-located call centre?
• Upload speed – Important for people who save large files online, like photos and videos.

Changing providers

If you wish to change internet providers, the process involves signing up with the new retailer in-store or online. You may receive a new Wi-Fi router, and you may have to return your old router to your previous retailer. The retailer-provided router is generally low quality but provides a fixed-line telephone connection if selected.

Your retailer might offer you an email address. Still, we recommend using a non-telco-specific email address, such as Gmail or Hotmail, allowing you to easily change NBN retailers.

The NBN changeover process can take less than an hour, but depending on the location and NBN technology, it could take a few days. To take advantage of introductory offers, you could swap your provider every six months.

Suppose you do not wish to leave your existing provider. In that case, you may be able to negotiate a better rate by comparing it to cheaper offerings.

GadgetGuy occasionally uses affiliate links and may receive a small commission from purchased products.

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Cheapest SIM plans: Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone compared

Are you looking to save on your phone bill? We’ve rounded up the cheapest SIM plans from a range of different carriers to help you find the best price. If you’re unsure about whether a SIM-only mobile plan is what you need, our quick guide to SIM-only mobile plans will get you up to speed.

Generally speaking, if you don’t want a new phone or a lock-in contract, a SIM plan is the way to go. It’s easy to get what you need without paying for excess features. Unlimited phone calls and text messages usually come standard, with data and international roaming the main points of difference. If you do want a phone, however, check out the current deals on phone plans, including discounted handsets.

We update this article monthly, so bookmark this page to keep up to date with the cheapest SIM plans. Prices update in real-time, meaning you get the latest deals available in Australia right now. You can also use a custom search to choose a plan that suits your exact needs.

All of the plans featured in this article include an expiry period of at least 28 days. You can purchase a SIM plan with a shorter recharge window, ideal for travellers who only need a bit of data while visiting Australia.

Want to save on your internet bill, too? Check out the cheapest NBN plans to save even more money. You can also compare the best Telstra SIM-only plans, Vodafone SIM-only plans, and Optus SIM-only plans.

Cheapest SIM plans

Postpaid

At the time of writing, Pivotel sells the cheapest postpaid SIM plan, priced at $11.45 per month for the first six months. That’s half its usual monthly price of $22.90, which you’ll pay once the discounted period ends. It comes with 25GB of data via Vodafone’s 4G network.

At its discounted $12 monthly price (down from $23), SpinTel’s 25GB plan costs only an extra 55 cents per month. This SIM plan from SpinTel connects to Optus’ 5G network, so the choice comes down to your network preference.

Moose Mobile (Vodafone 4G) and Swoop (Vodafone 5G) aren’t far behind, selling discounted postpaid SIM plans at $14 per month for the first six months. Afterwards, an ongoing plan with Moose costs $23 per month, while Swoop costs a couple of dollars more at $25 per month.

If you’re keen on a postpaid SIM plan on the Telstra network, Tangerine currently sells the cheapest option. It costs $30 each month, with 15GB of data included. Keep in mind that this Tangerine plan only uses parts of Telstra’s 5G and 4G networks, so check the coverage map before locking anything in.

Prepaid

At the time of writing, OnePass Mobile is the cheapest prepaid SIM plan with a discounted $12.50 rate for the first six recharges. Normally $25 every 28 days, OnePass Mobile’s 22GB plan connects to the Optus 5G network, while bundling in a OnePass membership at no extra cost.

MVNOs on the Vodafone network round out the next cheapest prepaid SIM plans. Starting with Lyca Mobile, its 50GB plan costs $15 per recharge for the first six recharges (on a 28-day cycle. Once the discount ends, the price reverts to $30 per recharge. Also $15 are the 30GB plans from iiNet and TPG (Vodafone 5G), but both are billed monthly, netting you an extra few days.

On the Telstra network, the cheapest current prepaid SIM plan is $28 from Aldi on a 30-day renewal. It uses Telstra’s wholesale 5G and 4G networks, including 12GB of data per recharge.

Cheapest 5G SIM plans

5G coverage reaches more of Australia than ever, bringing with it faster download speeds. Phones compatible with 5G are also increasingly affordable, making it easier to access high-speed networks.

In some cases, 5G plans can cost more, but as you’ll see below, they can also be among the cheapest.

Postpaid

SpinTel’s discounted $12 plan mentioned earlier is currently the cheapest postpaid 5G SIM plan, followed by Swoop’s $14 monthly plan.

Outside of discounts, postpaid 5G plans start from $23 per month, so it’s a reasonably affordable tier.

Prepaid

Topping both the cheapest overall and 5G prepaid plans, OnePass Mobile features again with its 22GB plan, which costs $12.50 for the first six 28-day recharges. Lyca Mobile, on the Vodafone 5G network, is similarly cheap, priced at $15 per 28 days for the first six recharges, including a large 50GB allocation. Afterwards, it costs $30 every 28 days.

In a slight shakeup to the Telstra side of the market, both Aldi Mobile and Boost Mobile are the cheapest Telstra-based prepaid SIM plans with 5G access. Both cost a flat rate of $28; Aldi’s plan recharges every 30 days, while Boost has a 28-day recharge cycle. 12GB comes with each Aldi recharge, and Boost includes 8GB. However, Boost Mobile’s advantage is being the only MVNO with access to the full Telstra 5G network, reaching further than Aldi’s wholesale network access.

Depending on your data needs, you can generally pick up a 5G prepaid plan for $25 per recharge.

Cheapest 365-day SIM plans

If you know what you need over a longer period and want to save money in the process, a 365-day SIM plan might do the trick. Simply pay once per year, and get a bank of data to use with unlimited calls and texts. It’s a cost-effective way of paying your phone bill for basic internet users who aren’t big downloaders.

Not much separates the cheapest long-expiry SIM plans; Kogan’s $200 plan (on the Vodafone 4G network) currently costs $159, with a total bonus data allocation of 300GB for the first recharge. Future recharges come with 200GB, which is still more than most around the same price.

At $169 for the first recharge, OnePass Mobile is currently the cheapest 365-day plan on the Optus 5G network. It also comes with a hefty 400GB data allocation, which then drops back to 280GB after the first recharge.

Looking at long-expiry SIM plans on the Telstra network, it’s a toss-up between Aldi Mobile and Boost Mobile for the lowest price. Aldi’s 365-day plan starts at $289 for 300GB, connecting you to Telstra’s wholesale 4G and 5G networks. For access to the full Telstra network, Boost Mobile is your best bet, normally priced at $300. This plan includes 290GB for the first recharge, and 240GB for subsequent recharges.

What you need to know about SIM-only plans

It’s fairly easy to change your SIM plan provider. Even more so with the rise of embedded SIM (eSIM) technology, letting you change plans almost instantly with a compatible device. Instead of requiring a physical card, eSIM stores network information directly in your phone.

Irrespective of which service provider you go with, the actual network used will be either Optus, Telstra or Vodafone. Many of the cheapest SIM plan providers are mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). This refers to carriers that use the network infrastructure of another company.

See Also

06/11/2024Adam Turner How to use

What is eSIM? All you need to know about the growing phone tech

Boost Mobile is a popular MVNO that has full access to Telstra’s network, reaching 99.5% of Australians. Not every MVNO includes a network’s full coverage, so it’s worth checking a company’s website to ensure your area is serviced.

In terms of how much data you should choose, data from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) found that Australians generally pay for more than what they need. On average, Aussies use 10.2GB of phone data per month, so it’s likely you could get away with a smaller allowance that costs less.

It also depends on how much you stream and download content using your phone. If you mainly use home or office Wi-Fi and don’t stream much, stick with a cheaper plan.

Postpaid versus prepaid

There are a couple of slightly different SIM plan options to choose from. Postpaid refers to plans that operate on a monthly billing cycle, where you pay at the end of each cycle. Postpaid SIM plans generally don’t involve a lock-in contract, so you can freely swap if your needs change or a better deal comes along. If you hit your data cap for a month, your telco might limit speeds until the next cycle or charge extra costs, so check the fine print beforehand.

Prepaid, on the other hand, sees you pay at the start of each cycle for a fixed number of days. Most prepaid SIM plans have a 28-day expiry cycle instead of a full month. Shorter expiries are also available if you need a SIM while travelling, making it a flexible option. The upside is that if you go over your data limit, you won’t incur extra costs. A lot of prepaid plans don’t automatically recharge by default but you can set up auto-recharge manually, with some telcos offering discounts or bonuses if you do so.

Phone number portability

The SIM changeover process takes about 10 minutes of your time or even less if you choose an eSIM. You will receive instructions to visit a website, provide your details, prove your identity (online) and then insert your new SIM.

Note that you will have a choice to migrate your existing mobile number or choose a new one. About 15 minutes later, you should be up and running. However, the documentation will indicate it may take up to 24 hours and may be affected by working hours.

Best network coverage

Network coverage is one of the most important factors to consider when buying any phone plan. Low prices and all the data in the world don’t mean much if you can’t get a signal.

Telstra decided to no longer express its network as a percentage of the Australian population, after the rules governing how telcos present network coverage changed midway through 2026. As such, a percentage-versus-percentage comparison is a bit trickier, but Telstra still claims the biggest phone network coverage in Australia by way of square kilometres.

Network	Network size
Telstra	2.14 million square kilometres
Telstra wholesale	1.4 million square kilometres
Optus	1.2 million square kilometres
Vodafone	1.2 million square kilometres

More important than percentages and square kilometres is whether your location has coverage. The best way to check is via a telco’s network map:

• Telstra network map
• Optus network map
• Vodafone network map

If you’re not sure which telco to choose, try a plan for a month. Lock-in contracts are largely a thing of the past, so it’s easier than ever to try one provider and swap if it doesn’t work out.

GadgetGuy occasionally uses affiliate links and may receive a small commission from purchased products.

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Keep cool and cut power bills with Levoit’s powerful new fan

As Australia heats up over the summer, the big challenge for many of us is finding ways of staying cool without blowing the budget. For those of us with air conditioning, leaving it running all the time, especially during a heatwave, only drives up the power bill. For that reason, and many more, a well-designed fan is the perfect summer companion.

But not all fans are created equal. Older fans are bulky and unattractive, with visible blades that can be tough to clean. One alternative is the new Levoit Classic Pro Smart Tower Fan, a tall 42-inch fan that helps you stay comfortable in the heat.

Affordable and packed with features that keep you cool, Levoit’s powerful fan will make summer more enjoyable. Its smarts and low running costs are just the hot-weather-relieving cherry on top.

No ordinary fan

If you have an old fan taking up space at home, chances are that you need to sit pretty close to it to enjoy any sort of refreshing airflow. With Levoit’s 42-inch Classic Pro Smart Tower Fan, you enjoy top speeds of up to 7.9m/s, creating a soothing breeze to help regulate your temperature.

Even when you’re sitting on the other side of the lounge room, you’ll still feel the effects of increased air circulation. Or, on really hot days, sitting close to the fan will feel more relieving than you would when using an older style of fan.

On a hot and sticky day, the last thing you want to do is move from your comfy spot to change the fan settings. By pairing the fan to the VeSync app, you can also enjoy easy-to-use remote controls. Here, you can turn the fan on or off, even from different rooms, and adjust the fan speed, just via your phone.

But why would you use a fan if you have an air conditioner? Seeing the price of electricity lately is enough to give anyone pause before turning on the AC. Levoit’s new tower fan cuts back on these costs substantially.

It uses an energy-efficient brushless 30W motor, which equates to 0.03kW. Meanwhile, some large split-system air conditioners can use upwards of 3kW, which quickly adds up in cost with each hour used. The more you can rely on Levoit’s fan to stay cool, the cheaper it’ll be in the long run.

Keeping cool in summer just got easier

Thinking back to your old-school fan again, you’re probably used to a fan with not many speed settings, and fairly rigid oscillation (if it oscillates at all). You’re better off using a more customisable fan that adapts to your environment.

When set to ‘Auto’ mode, the Levoit 42-inch Classic Pro Smart Tower Fan automatically adjusts fan speed based on temperature. It houses a smart sensor that detects when the heat increases or decreases, and changes airflow accordingly. This also helps limit the already-low power consumption, using less energy when a room cools down.

With 12 different fan speeds and four modes to choose from, Levoit’s tower fan is highly versatile. You can also adjust the direction of where the fan blows, including height and side-to-side oscillation.

For example, when sitting up at a desk, the fan can blow air at a higher angle, so you don’t miss out on the full cool breeze. Likewise, it can also direct airflow lower when you’re on the floor playing with the kids.

All of this is designed to be easy to use and customisable to your liking. Cooling down in summer shouldn’t be complicated, so Levoit focused on keeping things as simple as possible.

Summer relief for the whole family

Some people like sleeping with a fan on, not just because of the airflow, but also because they find the white noise soothing. But not everyone wants noise.

When at the lowest fan speed, the Levoit Classic Pro Smart Tower Fan runs as quietly as 25dB, softer than a whisper. There’s also a dedicated ‘Sleep’ mode that limits any nighttime disruption, gently circulating air as quietly as possible.

Levoit’s fan uses a bladeless design, so there’s no risk of kids or pets hurting themselves on fast-spinning blades. It also means easier cleaning — some of those old-school blade-style fans can get quite dirty and are a pain to clean.

This isn’t a fan designed to stay in one place, either. Even though it’s reasonably tall, the Classic Pro Smart Tower Fan is light and easy to move between rooms. It’s meant to fit with your lifestyle, not the other way around.

It won’t be long until the temperature gauge starts climbing higher, and this summer is set to be a hot one. If you need to replace an old blade-style fan, want to keep power bills to a minimum, and keep your cool during the warmer months, then Levoit’s tower fan will be your summer saviour.

The 42-inch Levoit Classic Pro Smart Tower Fan is out now in Australia for $199.99. Keep an eye out for local stockists, including Amazon and the Levoit official website.

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“Too much to do now”: Could these designers define Xbox’s future?

Xbox is fast approaching one of the biggest sliding doors moments in its 25-year history. Under new leadership and pressure to regain ground lost to Sony’s PlayStation, Microsoft’s gaming division is betting big on a new direction while committing to future hardware, known only by its ‘Project Helix’ codename.

If Carl Ledbetter and Chris Kujawski, two of Xbox’s design leads, are feeling the pinch, they do a good job of hiding it at the recent Fanfest event in Sydney. Fresh from unveiling the pint-sized $79 Xbox Nano Controller, the pair seem unfazed by the chaotic musical chairs happening in their workplace.

Since Asha Sharma took over as Xbox CEO in February, the company has enacted a “reset” in a bid to arrest its downward momentum. Among studio closures and company cutbacks, thousands of people have lost their jobs, with many more expected to follow.

Ledbetter, a 30-year Microsoft veteran whose early work included the famous IntelliMouse, is currently the Partner Head of Design at Xbox. “Bringing back the soul of Xbox” is the direction from above, a mission that’s keeping him busy.

“We’re trying to do so much so fast,” Ledbetter said. “And so, our challenge is actually prioritising what are the things that are going to result in the biggest improvement for people play games.”

“We’ve got too much to do now. So how are we going to do it all? So maybe that’s our biggest challenge.”

A new console might still be a way off, so Kujawski — Senior Director, Xbox Hardware Design — and Ledbetter’s first step was to try to make gaming more approachable for more people.

Good hardware design

Enraptured by one of the first home versions of Pong at a young age, Ledbetter has a strong belief in what goes into good product design.

“A great design will do two things,” he said. “When somebody sees it, it will start to evoke an impression.”

“Every generation of console, we want it to communicate that impression of what it’s about. It has to be beautiful, and it has to work beautifully. So, good design, it’s visual and exciting, and it stands for something, but then it immediately gets into the role of function.”

Over the years, Xbox consoles have taken various forms and shapes in an attempt to match this ethos of form and function. But the silhouette of the controller hasn’t changed much since the Xbox 360 era, something Ledbetter and Kujawski see as a challenge.

Image: Supplied.

“It has become more and more difficult for us to find areas for improvement,” Kujawski said. “And because there’s so much muscle memory ingrained in gamers’ hands that we actually feel a great responsibility not to regress in any way there.”

“For us as designers, that’s the fun challenge… we feel like we’ve refined the standard controller; there’s just microns that we’re changing each time now.”

It’s not arrogance on Kujawski’s part to claim that Xbox has mastered controller design. Although Xbox consoles haven’t necessarily topped best-seller lists, there’s a strong preference for its controllers across other platforms.

In 2024, Valve released a report outlining how often PC gamers on Steam use controllers, and which controllers are most popular. Across all Steam sessions involving a controller, Xbox controllers accounted for 59 per cent of sessions. PlayStation, its nearest rival, sat far behind on 26 per cent.

Where did the idea for the Nano come from?

Now, Xbox’s design team see expanding beyond conventional controllers as the next frontier. Catering to high-level players with the high-end customisable Elite Controller was an early attempt. Along the way, the controller’s designers made a realisation that would lead to the modular Xbox Adaptive Controller, an accessibility device for players with limited mobility.

Launched in the late 2010s, the Xbox Adaptive Controller helped reduce barriers to gaming. Image: Xbox.

“When we designed the first Elite Controller, we realised that the fact that it had buttons on the back opened up opportunities for, say you only have one hand or the use of one hand, to get more out of your controller,” Kujawski said. “That was a light bulb on moment for me… there’s a whole group of people that are underserved by the products that we’re making now.”

Several years later, Sony followed suit with the PlayStation Access Controller, which Kujawski said was “great for the industry”.

“It speaks to raising awareness around designing accessible products and bringing more people into gaming,” he said. “[The PlayStation Access Controller is] a totally different take on what an accessible controller can be (compared to) our Adaptive Controller, which I think is awesome because it’s serving a different need.”

Meeting new and younger players with the smaller Nano Controller is the company’s latest foray. According to its designers, the petite gamepad serves multiple purposes. One is to better cater to younger players and small-handed gamers. Another objective is to keep up with changing habits.

“One of the things that has changed in the past 25 years is gaming isn’t just in the living room in the same place every day,” Ledbetter said.

Kujawski described the standard Xbox controller as “backpackable”, whereas the Nano is considered “pocketable”. Theoretically, someone could use the Nano with a phone or a laptop without taking up limited bag space.

Image: Xbox.

He added that the Nano is a “less intimidating” way to cater to new gamers and younger players with smaller hands

“Maybe it’s somebody’s first controller, maybe it’s somebody who is intimidated by what gaming might be, and this is an easier entry point into the gaming system,” Kujawski said.

How is a controller made?

Designing, engineering, and iterating a game controller is no simple task. Product designers through and through, Ledbetter and Kujawski sketch initial concepts by hand, but nothing takes place in a vacuum.

Using the sketched concepts, it’s a matter of repeated iteration and testing. Continuing his hands-on approach, Kujawski hand-sculpts early prototypes in his garage using modelling foam and clay.

The current standard Xbox controller (left) and the Xbox Nano Controller (right). Image: Xbox.

“We then jump into 3D modelling, and we have our design studio in the same building as our model shop (where) we have dozens of 3D printers,” he said. “Constantly, every night during the design process, we will be iterating, print overnight… We’ll just do this over and over again until we get it right.”

“Our studio is lined with drawers that are filled with prototypes of various half-finished ideas.”

Designing the Nano involved “dozens and dozens” of models across a range of different form factors. Through this process, early mistakes were weeded out, and the final design took shape.

“When we were designing the Nano, we put the standard thumbsticks in the [controller],” Ledbetter said. “You build one prototype of that, and you can already see it’s like ‘these things are too big and weird. They stick up too high, they’re too large. Can we get smaller thumbsticks that feel right?’”

Controllers cop a fair beating before entering mass production. Image: Xbox.

Both designers then obsessed over minute details, like the surface texture, bumpers and triggers. Most importantly, the final design has to survive Microsoft’s “reliability labs”, where purpose-built robots press each button millions of times to assess long-term durability.

Finally, after passing all tests, the final design enters mass production, ready to start shipping worldwide.

Future of Xbox

Planning for a future generation of gaming hardware seems an impossible task, given the impacts of the ongoing memory shortage — contributed to, in part, by Microsoft’s significant AI investments. The scarcity and increased costs of hardware components have caused consumer technology prices to skyrocket, with no signs of recovering anytime soon.

Much of this is completely beyond the control of those tasked with designing new hardware. Tight-lipped on anything related to Project Helix, Ledbetter explained that the Nano controller is one way Xbox is trying to introduce lower-priced options. As for future hardware, affordability is a frequent topic of discussion.

“We have a lot of meetings where we really get into the super details of what can we do to keep the quality high, the product value and performance high, but keep the price accessible,” he said.

Chris Kujawski (left) and Carl Ledbetter (right) at the Xbox Fanfest in Sydney. Image: Supplied.

“It is a tough time we’re in right now. We can’t predict the future; we don’t know what it’s going to be in three, six, nine months from now. But that’s one thing that we’ve done historically well, and we don’t plan to change, is to do everything we can to keep the prices at a place where more people can play.”

“One of the core principles of Xbox, one of the things that I actually think is one of the great aspects of it, is our focus on value,” Kujawski said. “I feel like we’ve always tried to deliver a ton of value for what you’re paying.”

According to a recent Fortune report, projections estimate that the Project Helix console could cost between US$1,200 and US$1,800. Even the low-end estimate roughly converts to $1,700 in Australian dollars before taxes, surpassing Sony’s $1,399 PlayStation 5 Pro console.

Anyone tasked with creating the next generation of gaming hardware faces a steep challenge. Lucky, then, that product designers like Ledbetter and Kujawski love a challenge. Xbox’s future may now depend on them.

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