After many companies left Russia, players from other countries, primarily China, began to actively explore the technology market. And it is worth noting that these brands can compete with the usual Bosch and Philips. We will tell you which brand to look for as a replacement for Dyson and which brand will surprise you with home products with artificial intelligence.
Country of origin: China
What to look for: refrigerators, washers and dryers, wine coolers
Where to buy: casarte.ru
Casarte is a Chinese brand of household appliances, founded in 2007. Now the brand is actively developing under the wing of the Haier Group conglomerate. In philosophy and design, the creators turn to the world’s artistic heritage, as well as to the ideas of harmony of technology and natural beauty. Hence the soft shapes and natural colours. Casarte’s flagship product is a seamless washer-dryer column that has won the Red Dot Awards. Using artificial intelligence and special sensors, it determines the type of fabric, selects the temperature mode and adjusts the number of revolutions.
The product range also includes a line of French Door refrigerators with smart sterilization functions and food freshness control. The functionality of the device is also expanded by the proprietary Evo application: with its help you can remotely monitor the status of products, receive notifications and change settings. Another interesting product is a wine cellar with oak shelves, which creates a microclimate for different types of drinks. You can also control humidity and temperature via the application.
Country of origin: China
What to look for: hair dryers, stylers, robot vacuum cleaners
Where to buy: dreametech.com
The Dreame brand was founded in 2015 by Yu Hao, a graduate of Tsinghua University. A few years later, the young engineer was attracted to Xiaomi, turning his brainchild into one of the largest divisions of the corporation responsible for household appliances. While still a student, Hao developed the brand’s flagship technology – a motor that reaches speeds of up to 150,000 rpm (the technical limit on the market was 125,000 rpm). Dreame is actively developing the Russian market and in March of this year became an official partner of the Dynamo football club.
Some of the latest additions include the AirStyle 5-in-1 hair styler and the Pocket High-Speed Hair Dryer, which weighs just 300 grams and can be taken with you on any trip thanks to its compact size. The former combines drying, styling and hair setting functions and is equipped with NTC intelligent temperature control, which performs 200 checks per second. In addition, it is definitely worth examining the brand’s assortment for the presence of robotic vacuum cleaners. For example, the L10s Pro Ultra features MopExtend™ technology, which is essential for effective cleaning in hard-to-reach areas such as skirting boards, corners and areas around furniture. There is also a complete “All-in-One” self-service technology with automatic mop cleaning with water at a temperature of 58 degrees.
Country of origin: Taiwan
What to look for: eco-friendly cameras and accessories
Where to buy: papershoot.ru
Paper Shoot (or paps) is a Taiwanese digital camera brand established in 2013. The design is based on the concept of “less is more”, and the key values on which the brand is based are portability, minimalism, and environmental friendliness. All materials used to make the cameras are recycled and reused or biodegradable. The appearance of the invention, as well as its aesthetics and ease of use, made Papsh an ideal alternative to film. In 2021, the brand arrived in America, where it became very popular.
The main material for creating the cameras was “stone paper”, a completely biodegradable material that turns into dust over time. It is quite simple to use: there is a single button (photo shutter) and a switch (filter change). The device already has four built-in modes: basic, black and white, sepia and blue. Another feature of Paper Shoot is customization: you can choose from dozens of existing cases with different prints or create your own. It is also possible to record videos, but only up to ten seconds. All received materials can be saved on a memory card or transferred to devices via micro-USB.
Country of origin: China
What to look for: Smartphones, portable headphones, laptops
Where to buy: tecno-mobile.com
The Tecno brand has been present on the Russian market since 2017 and during this time has managed to develop a whole ecosystem of products that successfully interact with each other. The brand is the first place to turn to for technologically advanced smartphones: many industry representatives praised them for their innovative design and high performance. There are currently four series: Phantom, Camon, Pova and Spark.
Another must-have accessory in the range is the wireless earphones. For example, the Buds 3 feature bass boost technology, the Sonic 1 can work with or without earbuds, and the True 1 features some of the best noise-cancelling technology in the industry. Tecno also creates lightweight laptops. These include the Megabook S1 with a 3.2K display, energy-efficient 12th generation Intel Core i7 processors, and fast LPDDR5 RAM. And for those who like to work at home, there’s the MEGA MINI M1 miniPC. This is a pocket-sized nettop that can handle even simple games – the heart of the device is the 12th generation 8-core Intel Core i5 processor with a power output of 45 W.
Country of origin: China
What to look for: smart toothbrushes, irrigators
Where to buy: ocleantech.ru
The Oclean brand, which appeared on the Russian market last year, develops smart and stylish products for the care of teeth and gums. The brand’s product range includes sonic electric toothbrushes, irrigators, disinfectants and additional accessories such as travel cases and holders. The company’s products have received numerous international design awards. For example, in 2018 they received the Red Dot and If Design Awards.
The new Oclean X Ultra model, which uses artificial intelligence, is particularly noteworthy. Neural networks play the role of a guide, indicating problem areas and preventing excessive pressure that can damage teeth and gums. The main achievement of the development was the increased frequency of brush movements – 84,000 rpm. The device can work for 40 days without charging, and the body is completely protected from water.
Country of origin: China
What to look for: smart watches
Where to buy: mobvoi.ru
The Mobvoi brand specializes in the production of smart watches and electronic accessories. Founded in 2012, the company initially developed artificial intelligence systems and voice recognition technologies and even launched its own Android-based operating system, Ticwear OS 1.0. The brand then began collaborating with Frog Design to launch the TicWatch smartwatch, which remains the brand’s flagship model, valued for its comfort by both ordinary people and professional athletes.
Let’s pay special attention to one of the latest versions – TicWatch Pro 5, equipped with two displays located one above the other. The main one is activated by interacting with the Wear OS system from Google Android, and the second, which completely replaces the Always on Display function, works in sleep mode. Thanks to this, the watch can work for an incredibly long time – up to 45 days without recharging. It is also possible to install applications from Google Play and all the main sensors that monitor health indicators.
Country of origin: China
What to look for: fans, humidifiers, heaters
Where to buy: smartmirussia.com
Smartmi, which started operating in 2019, is engaged in the creation of household appliances under the wing of Xiaomi: antibacterial humidifiers, graphene heaters, air conditioners and fresh air ventilation systems (this is just part of the list). The brand strives not only to create environmentally friendly devices, but also to create ergonomic and concise designs.
For example, the Evaporative Humidifier 3, unlike most models on the market that spray water, creates an ultra-thin film that does not create a favorable environment for the development of microbes and bacteria. And thanks to a special reservoir, the development also acts as an air purifier, removing dust and dirt. NanoGuard™ technology is based on a special dense weave of ultra-fine organic threads. Some more important advantages: silent night mode and smart control from anywhere in the world. Smartmi also includes smart fans, which are indispensable in today’s climate. Fluctuations in the angle and speed of the blowing replicate the natural blowing of the wind.
Country of origin: China
What to look for: headphones and speakers
Where to buy: soundcore.com
The Soundcore brand, which specializes in audio equipment, is owned by the Chinese giant Anker. The brand’s first portable speaker appeared in 2014, and since then the range has expanded and transformed significantly. The models have acquired coloured and music LED backlighting and support for PartyCast technology, which allows up to 100 speakers to be combined into a common system.
Headphones remained the main vector of Soundcore’s development. At a fairly inexpensive price (up to 12,000 rubles), the Liberty Pro series models with a coaxial hybrid design boast excellent sound quality and sound transmission. Even the most budget-friendly models of the Life Note line work longer and better than what competitors offer for that money. There are still not many full-size headphones in the brand’s assortment. Let’s look at the developments of the latest generation of Space One, which are configured to more effectively block exactly the frequency range in which voices sound. Long battery life (up to 40 hours without recharging), high sound quality with support for the LDAC codec, and a comfortable floating design make them one of the best full-size options in terms of price-performance ratio.
