Agreed, it was refreshing to say the least. I am happy to report some positive news for a change.
I received the new 9350 Sport within just 3 days of speaking to the customer rep, so that was another pleasant surprise. At first glance everything about the 9350 is better than the 9300. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the 9450/9550 but it cleans the pool and that's all I want.
A few noticeable improvements (in my opinion anyway).
* The 9350 cleaning unit feels heavier/sturdier, FWIW
* The caddy setup is an improvement - it's more compact
* The 9350 cord is improved over the 9300 cord. It's as if it's designed to roll up like a water hose and keep that shape. It also floats on the surface of the water whereas the 9300 cord did not (at least not that I recall), so that should help it keep its shape. The 9300 cord lost its shape pretty quickly, even when rolled up tightly on the caddy.
* While the 9300 had short and long cleaning cycles, the 9350 has "floor only" and "floor + wall" settings. I don't need my walls cleaned every time, so it was a time saver to choose just floor cleaning. After not having a pool cleaner for nearly 2 weeks, the 9350 cleaned my pool completely in only 2 cycles. The 9300 would not have done that.
* The "lift out of pool" feature is interesting, as this will allow me to remove the cleaner without tugging too much on the cord.