If you are in the market for a Shark IQ robot vacuum cleaner, you may see similar names and model numbers like these:
R100, R101, R100AE, R101AE, RV1000, RV1001AE, R101AE, UR1005AE, etc.
Get confused by them?
Read the comparison of these Shark IQ robotic vacuums below, it may help you learn some difference between them and make an informed purchase.

Shark R100 vs R101AE / IQ vs IQ XL what’s the difference?

The main difference between the Shark IQ Robot XL Vacuum R101AE and Shark IQ R100 is the R101AE has the self empty feature. The R101AE includes a self empty base which allows the robot to empty the dust and debris when it returns to the base. According to Shark, this bagless base can hold up to 30 full bins of dust and debris before being emptied. While the R100 comes with a standard charging base. It is not compatible with the Self Empty Base. The robot needs to be manually emptied when bin is full.
And at this moment, Shark does not offer the Self Empty Base separately. If you want it, you have to buy the bundle that includes it.
Another difference is the dust bin capacity. The bin on R100 holds up to 0.6 quarts while the R101AE has a much smaller dust bin which holds up to 0.2 quarts. However, since the R101AE features self empty base, the smaller bin does not matter.
There are also exclusive models R100W and R101AEW on Shark official site. According to Shark support, the R100W is the same as the R100, and R101AEW is the same as R101AE.
The only difference is the exclusive models on Shark official site carry 1-year VIP warranty. The VIP service means that if your robot vacuum fails for any reason:
You ship it to them FREE.
They fix it FREE or replace it FREE.
They send it back to you FREE.

R100 vs RV1000 vs RV1000C vs RV1001 what’s the difference?
R100 is the name, RV1000, RV1000C and RV1001 are the model numbers.
The difference between these models is where sold and what accessories are included. The robots are the same.

R101AE vs RV1001AE vs UR1005AE vs RV1001AEC vs RV1001AEQ, what’s the difference?
The R101AE is the name, the RV1001AE, UR1005AE, RV1001AEC and RV1001AEQ are the model numbers.
Just like the R100, the difference between these models is where sold and what accessories are included, some may come with extra filter, some may include extra side brushes,etc. The robots are the same.

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Updated 2020.12.18
Recently, Shark added some new models, such as the IQ Robot Self Empty XL AV1002AE and AV1010AE.
The AV1002AE is the same thing as A102AE.
The AV1010AE is the same thing as A110AE.

These IQ robots also equipped with the Self Empty, the difference between the A102AE(AV1002AE), A110AE(AV1010AE) and the previous RV1001AE, UR1005AE is:
The AV1002AE and AV1010AE create the home map with a faster mapping speed compared to the RV1001AE, UR1005AE.
The AV1002AE and AV1010AE have improved carpet cleaning performance compared to the RV1001AE, UR1005AE.

The RV1001AE uses a different brushroll – multi-surface brushroll pulls in dirt and debris from carpets and hard floors whereas the others features the self cleaning brushroll which has Dirt Engage Fins to help deep-clean floors and prevent hair from wrapping.

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Some questions and answers:

• Can the self empty base be added later?
  For R100, it is not compatible with the self empty base.
  And the Shark does not sell the self empty base separately currently.
• Is it compatible with Amazon Alexa?
  Yes. It is compatible with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
• Is it able to create and save multiple maps for multiple floor house?
  No. Only one map can be created and saved.
• Can the Shark IQ robots be used without WiFi or a smart phone?
  Yes. But the functions that require the app and wifi to work will not work such as the scheduling.
  Press the Clean button on the robot to manually start a cleaning cycle, press the Dock button to stop the robot before it finishes cleaning and automatically returns to the base.
• Does it support dual voltage?
  No.
• Is the battery removable?
  Yes. The battery is removable and replaceable.
• How long will it take to fully charge?
  It takes approximately 4-6 hours.
• How long can it run per charge?
  It depends.
  But commonly it runs approximately 60 minutes.
• Does it mop?
  No, it has no mopping mode.
• Does it come with a remote control?
  No. For remote control, you need a smart phone and WiFi.
• Does it move randomly or clean in a systematic way?
  It cleans row by row methodically and room to room.
• Does the robot avoid stairs?
  Yes. It has cliff sensors to stop it from falling down the stairs.
• Can you stop the robot from entering a specific area?
  You can use the included BotBoundary strips to keeps it out of certain areas.
  The interactive map in the app allows you to send the robot to clean one specific room, but there is no virtual boundary you can set in the app at this moment.
• Can you locate the robot if it gets lost?
  Yes. You can use the app to find it.
• What are the dimensions of the self empty base?
  The dimensions of the docking station are 12.625″ x 8.25″ x 15.75″.
• What are the dimensions of the robot?
  12.9″ x 12.6″ x 3.5″(L x W x H).
• Can you load a map?
  No, the robot create the map itself.
• How long will it take to create a map?
  It may take several cleanings for the robot to
  finish its mapping.
• Can you schedule it for multiple times per day?
  You can only schedule once per day.

Download manuals to learn more:

R110AE user guide:
https://m.sharkclean.com/include/pdf/manual-av1010ae.pdf
R102AE user guide:
https://m.sharkclean.com/include/pdf/manual-av1002ae.pdf
R101AE user guide:
https://m.sharkclean.com/include/pdf/manual-rv1001ae.pdf
R100 directions:
https://m.sharkclean.com/include/pdf/manual-RV1000.pdf