Philips' new Prestige shaver can cut hair below your skin's surface for the smoothest shave of your life

• Philips promises the new i9000 is its 'most intelligent shaver' yet
• Claims it can lift and cut hair -0.08mm below the skin’s surface
• Also offers real-time customization and pressure-activated lighting

If you’ve been wondering what’s next for premium electric shavers, Philips has an answer for you: the Norelco Shaver i9000 Prestige Ultra, the brand's most intelligent and powerful yet. It builds on the design and ergonomics that impressed us on previous models – this is the brand behind some of the best beard trimmers and electric razors on the market – as well as introducing a number of innovative new features.

I got a chance to check it out at a preview event, and I was intrigued. (Unfortunately, I was also clean-shaven, so while I did get a chance to see it in action, you'll have to wait for my upcoming review for my official verdict.) Here are three reasons why the Norelco i9000 stands out from the crowd...

1. It can shave below the skin

The most significant change between the i9000 and previous Norelco shavers is that Philips promises a root-level shave with the new model. Using what Philips has dubbed ‘Triple Action Lift & Cut Technology', it'll lift hair directly from the root, cutting up to -0.08mm below the skin’s surface, for the cleanest, smoothest shave of your life. It sounds painful, but I saw it in action and can confirm there was only hair being shaven, no one ended up taking their top layer of skin off.

With only a little stubble on my face, it easily took care of more short, fine hairs with ease. I look forward to putting this to the test when it's bit more grown out and see if it can solve for the tug-of-war feeling that some other shavers afford when getting their bearings around longer, more grown-out hair.

2. Real-time AI shaving feedback

Like the previous model (which impressed us when we tested it for our Philips Shaver S9000 review), there are five modes: sensitive, foam, intense, regular, and custom. New with the i9000 is SenseIQ Pro – an upgraded version of the tech used in previous models, which uses AI to customize the shaving experience in real time, offering feedback and aiming to deliver a better shaving experience.

That combines with a new 360-degree 'Precision Flexing System' designed to offer 20 per cent more precision in use, thanks to three flexible heads that hide 72 blades and can perform 165,000 cutting actions in a minute.

I got to try the i9000 on hair growing in various directions and of various lengths on boards that Philips had set up. There was no tug, even when the surface wasn't smooth. The i9000's flexible heads certainly let it navigate any area skin a bit easier, and the blades work quickly enough to let you move the shaver as you see fit.

3. Disco lighting and a bright, color screen

You’ll control and monitor all of this via a new, color screen on the front. I could see at the preview event it's considerably brighter than the one found on previous models. That screen will also greet you with a Good Morning or Good Evening, depending on when you pick the shaver up off the stand (and like most other devices, the i9000 also works with a connected app for Android or iOS).

Even cooler, though, is a ring of LEDs under three floating shaving heads that glow green or red depending on how hard you're pressing the shaver.

The LEDs get nice and bright, so they're easy to see in the mirror or in your peripheral vision, and they really do adjust on the fly based on how much pressure I apply. It's a really useful guiding tool, and even if you don't care to connect up the companion app, can provide that feedback right on the shaver.

The general gist here is that more intelligent features plus plenty of power help the Philips Norelco i9000 deliver the shave you need, in any environment at any time. The extra tech flair being thrown in is neat, and the use of AI for real-time personalization has already proven successful in earlier generations.

I’ve just unboxed the Philips Norelco i9000 Prestige Ultra and am excited to fully put it through its paces over the next few weeks. It’s out now with a starting price of $329.99, depending on the exact model – as of this publishing, I see the i9000 Prestige Ultra for $329.99 on Amazon with a charging stand, a carrying case, and an extra attachment. It will get as pricey as $499.99, though. We’re waiting for Philips to confirm pricing for the UK and Australia.

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