So our original hunch was correct: a new Roomba is currently in beta stage and it will be an evolution of the 550 series. It will be all black with a textured surface and this model, strangely enough, is missing the top handle. It will have a smaller base and lighthouses – the invisible walls you put in the house – that use C batteries and have an on/off switch. There is a better and bigger filter and the brushes are softer.

UPDATE – We have the first picture of the new Roomba.

Tipster DG notes that the beta testing has run for about 10 days so far and all the amazing new features we expected – namely easy corner attacks – aren’t included.