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is a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid.
SwitchBot is introducing a new version of the tiny button-pressing robot that helped launch the company a decade ago. The functionality of the new SwitchBot Bot is exactly the same as the original that the company will continue to sell, but comes with a rechargeable battery instead of a disposable one.
The SwitchBot Bot Rechargeable is available now through the company’s online store and Amazon for $33.99, compared to $29.99 for the original version. The original runs on a single 3V CR2 battery, which aren’t as common as AAs or even coin cell batteries. While they’re available for just a couple of bucks each if you buy a multipack, the SwitchBot Bot Rechargeable will be cheaper in the long run if you use it for a while.
The wirelessly controlled SwitchBot Bot Rechargeable can be installed by simply sticking it to a button or rocker switch that it will physically press using a small arm that extends and retracts. Like the original, the battery is accessible by removing a panel on the front of the bot. You don’t have to uninstall it entirely. But instead of inserting a fresh battery, the 370mAh rechargeable alternative has its own USB-C port on the side for connecting to power to charge it back up.
The rechargeable version is potentially a more sustainable and eco-friendly version of the SwitchBot Bot, but there is one big tradeoff. While the standard version’s battery life is estimated to be up to 600 days when the bot is used twice per day, for the rechargeable version, it’s just six months with just one press per day.
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