Skip to main content

Would you really spend $220 on Oral-B’s new A.I.-powered smart toothbrush?

Brushing your teeth is one of the most important things you do every day. There’s nothing like cleaning the gunk off your teeth after a long night of particularly deep sleep, but studies indicate that many people don’t use proper technique when it comes to brushing. If you don’t brush long enough or skimp on certain areas, it can cause serious problems down the line. Oral-B’s new Geniux X electric toothbrush can help combat negligent oral hygiene with the help of onboard A.I.

It sounds complicated, but its operation is simple. The toothbrush connects to your phone via Bluetooth and activates a timer when you start brushing. It reminds you when to change positions and suggests where you should brush next. An array of sensors warn you if you’re using too much pressure and then awards an overall rating for how well you brushed.

Recommended Videos

All useful features, right? The question is whether the Genius X toothbrush earns its $220 price point. Competing toothbrushes run the gamut of prices, but few come anywhere close to $200. Even the Waterpik Complete Care 9.0 set, which combines both an electric toothbrush and a water flosser, only costs $100. If you’re just trying to improve your oral hygiene or simplify the process of brushing your teeth, a high-quality electric toothbrush can be had for as little as $40.

The Oral-B Genius X electric toothbrush’s A.I. features set it apart, but those aren’t the things that make it notable. It combines three different types of movement to effectively clean your teeth: Oscillating, rotating, and pulsating. The data gathered from the brush is also used to further enhance the A.I. so that it provides better suggestions as it learns from users around the globe.

The Oral-B Genius X is a fascinating look at the direction electric toothbrushes are headed. That said, it’s high price point makes it prohibitive to a lot of people, especially when there are so many other options — including several Oral-B-branded electric toothbrushes — for far less money. If you want the newest, most-cutting-edge device, check it out, but know that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a great electric toothbrush.

Patrick Hearn
Patrick Hearn writes about smart home technology like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, smart light bulbs, and more. If it's a…
Finally, you can use a Google Nest smart speaker or display to find an iPhone
you can now use google assistant find your iphone my with

How often do you put your iPhone down and then forget where it is? If you're like most people, it happens more often than you'd care to admit. There's good news -- Google Assistant can now help you find your iPhone. While this isn't new for Android owners, support for the iPhone is no doubt a welcome addition.

All you have to do is say, "Hey Google, find my phone," and Google will ring your number. It doesn't matter if you have your phone on silent or not; it will still ring. This works even on iPhones, so don't worry if you aren't an Android or Google phone user. You can still take full advantage of the feature.

Read more
This A.I.-powered collar translates your dog’s barks and body language
Petpuls A.I.-powered dog collar

Have you ever wondered what your pet is trying to tell you? This collar may hold the answer. It's one of the more intriguing pet-specific gadgets at CES 2021. CES has always been packed with pet-products that make caring for your pet more convenient, but few have had the potential impact of Petpuls' A.I.-powered smart collar.

This collar uses voice recognition technology to detect and track five different emotional states. It analyzes the tone and pitch of your dog's bark to tell you whether your pup feels happy, anxious, angry, sad, or relaxed -- it's just missing "squirrel." If you are getting Up vibes, you aren't alone.

Read more
Do you really need a smart Christmas tree? Here’s how much it’ll cost you
Twinkly smart lights set up around Christmas tree.

There's a special charm to the Christmas season. Each year, children look forward to getting the tree out of storage, putting it together, stringing the lights, and hanging the ornaments -- while adults then have the less fun task of setting up timers and replacing bulbs that have gone bad in the intervening months.

Just the act of hunting down a blown-out light bulb in a long string of them can suck much of the merry right out of the Christmas season. One easy alternative is to invest in a "smart" Christmas tree that is prestrung and uses LEDs, not C7 and C9 bulbs.

Read more