Dyson's new flagship vacuum knows exactly what kind of floor it's on and adapts to save you battery – here's how it works

Close up of screen on Dyson V16 Piston Animal cordless stick vacuum, showing that it's in Auto mode.

In my opinion, "Auto" modes are one of the best innovations in the vacuum cleaner market. How exactly such a mode will works is likely to vary depending on the model (and how expensive it is); but, broadly speaking, Auto mode will see the vacuum increase or decrease power according to the surface being tackled, saving you from having to manually toggle between different settings as you clean.

A number of the best cordless vacuums on the market have some kind of automation mode, but the one on the V16 Piston Animal – the newly announced Dyson flagship vacuum – is particularly clever.