Oral-B iO Series 9 vs Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart 9700
Over three years, with heads at each maker's own pack price, the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart 9700 costs about $380 to the Oral-B iO Series 9's $388, even though its handle costs more. The Oral-B iO Series 9 has an ADA Seal listing; none was found for the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart 9700. They also move differently: see the oscillating-versus-sonic explainer for what the evidence does and doesn't say about that. Every other published figure for both is in the table, with the rows where they differ tinted.
Oral-B
Oral-B iO Series 9
~$330
Oral-B's top handle in stock on its US store in September 2026 (the iO10 page was listed but not purchasable).
Best for: Frequent travellers who want to leave the charging stand at home
Philips Sonicare
Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart 9700
~$340
Six brush heads come with the 9700 (an A3, three C3s and two G3s), eighteen months of replacements at the three-month interval, plus a TongueCare+ tongue cleaner.
Best for: Buyers who would rather pay for heads up front
| Specification | Oral-B iO Series 9 | Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart 9700 |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$330 | ~$340 |
| 3-year cost | ~$388 ($330 handle + 8 heads at $7.22) | ~$380 ($340 handle + 6 heads at $6.66) |
| Type | Oscillating-rotating | Sonic |
| Motion | Oscillating-rotating (round head) | Sonic (vibrating head) |
| Speed (maker's figure) | not published | 62,000 brush movements / min |
| Motor | iO magnetic drive | not published |
| Pressure sensor | Multi-signal pressure sensor: Smart Pressure Sensor lets you know if you are brushing too hard, too soft, or just right | Multi-signal pressure sensor: Ring lights up purple, with vibration and a pulsing sound |
| ADA Seal | Listed: Oral-B iO Series | No listing found |
| Timer | 2-minute timer | 2-minute timer |
| Quadrant pacer | not published | Yes, every 30 seconds |
| Modes | 7: Daily Clean, Whiten, Gum Care, Sensitive, Super Sensitive, Intense Clean, Tongue Clean | 5: Clean, Deep Clean+, Gum Health, White+, Tongue Care |
| Intensities | not published | 3 |
| Screen | Color screen | None |
| App | Yes | Yes |
| Battery | not published | 14-day battery (Philips spec: operating time 14 days) |
| Charging | charging stand | charging glass |
| Travel case | Yes, and it charges the brush | Yes, and it charges the brush |
| Heads in the box | 4 | 6 |
| Head family | Oral-B iO | Sonicare click-on |
| Head compatibility | Compatible only with Oral-B iO replacement heads | Any Philips Sonicare click-on head (C1 SimplyClean, C2, C3, G3, A3, W); not Philips One heads |
| Price per head | $7.22 (Oral-B iO Ultimate Clean 9-count, $64.99 on oralb.com) | $6.66 (Sonicare SimplyClean 6-pack (HX6016/77), $39.96 on usa.philips.com) |
| Replace heads every | 3 months (maker) | 3 months (maker) |
| Warranty | 2 years | 2 years |
| First listed | not published | 2024 |
Oral-B iO Series 9: what it gives up
- Costs $80 more than the iO8, mostly for the charging case and one mode
- No battery figure even at $330, while the $65 iO2 gets one
- iO heads are proprietary to the iO range
Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart 9700: what it gives up
- $340, a price only the Prestige tops in this catalog
- Still 14 days per charge, a week less than the $160 Series 7100, which also has a charging case
- Much of the premium over the 9300 is heads you could buy later
Full pages: Oral-B iO Series 9 · Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart 9700