HomeKit-Enabled GE Window Air Conditioner Now Available for Purchase

[MacRumors]

GE has a new HomeKit-enabled single-room air conditioner available for purchase, which is the first HomeKit-compatible GE product that's launched so far.

The GE Energy Star 115 Volt Electronic Room Air Conditioner (model number AHP08LX) can be purchased exclusively from Lowe's for $319. Though Lowe's is charging $319, the GE site says the MSRP for the device is $269, so it may be prudent to wait for a sale.

According to GE, the Window Air Conditioner offers 8,000 BTUs sufficient for cooling medium-sized rooms of 250 to 350 square feet. It comes equipped with a WiFi Connect feature, designed to allow the unit to be controlled via a smartphone.

WiFi Connect supports HomeKit, allowing the device to be monitored and accessed through the dedicated Apple Home app and through Siri commands. HomeKit compatibility also lets it be incorporated into scenes and automations.

There are few HomeKit-enabled air conditioning units on the market at this point in time, with the only other HomeKit air conditioner available from Haier in a limited number of markets.

Article Link: HomeKit-Enabled GE Window Air Conditioner Now Available for Purchase

 

[Phogro]

Seems expensive.

 

[tzm41]

Want to see some reviews.

 

[adamjackson]

Awesome. Just bought a window unit last year but it's good to see the HomeKit innovation isn't limited to whole home systems.

We have one of these in the bedroom and just use a HomeKit enabled plug to at lest control on/off but we can't customize blower speed or temp.. just an on off basically.

 

[dmx]

A top quality 8000 BTU AC goes for about $200. No way I’d pay anywhere’s near $320 for this.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

A top quality 8000 BTU AC goes for about $200. No way I’d pay anywhere’s near $320 for this.

Being able to remotely control it could EASILY save you the difference in price in a single summer of use from the saved electricity.

 

[BuffaloTF]

Interesting use-case. While I have no need, this would certainly pique my interests were I shopping.

 

[mrow]

Being able to remotely control it could EASILY save you the difference in price in a single summer of use from the saved electricity.

Unless you need to to be able to actually adjust the temperature remotely then it’s still a lot of money. If you are just concerned with schedules and turning it on and off you could get a non-smart AC and a HomeKit compatible outlet for way cheaper.

Or save even more, skip the HomeKit compatibility and get a TP-Link outlet when they’re on sale, which is frequent, and control it from the TP-Link app.

 

[OldSchoolMacGuy]

Unless you need to to be able to actually adjust the temperature remotely then it’s still a lot of money. If you are just concerned with schedules and turning it on and off you could get a non-smart AC and a HomeKit compatible outlet for way cheaper.

Or save even more, skip the HomeKit compatibility and get a TP-Link outlet when they’re on sale, which is frequent, and control it from the TP-Link app.

Controlling fan speed and temp are going to go a long way to saving energy. Finding a HomeKit compatible plug that'll support 15A and the wattage an AC pulls is going to be a challenge.

In the end, as I said before, you'll easily make up the price difference in a single summer compared to a conventional unit and won't have to go through the hassle of finding a HomeKit plug and losing remote control of temp and fan speed. Often it's worth spending a bit more money to get a better solution and one that's easier to use.

 

[ouimetnick]

$269 seems to be about $60-$70 more than a regular unit, but basically $70 for HomeKit. Not bad. Rather than turn my AC on at 2pm so it’s nice and cold when I get home at 6, I could turn it on an hour or so from work. The amount of electricity saved probably would pay for this HomeKit feature during 1 season

 

[winks360]

Is it really Home-Kit Compatible? Looks like Lowe’s just made a mistake. Maybe I’m wrong but a little research before posting an article like this. People may buy just to be let down and then not trust this news source.

2 Pictures from Lowe’s main product page and then their spec page. Then 2 from ge main produce page, then spec sheet

 

[itsmilo]

Never got the obsession with America and ice cold temperatures and a million ice cubes in a drink for that matter lol

One simply should not come back home from a Miami summer with a cold!

 

[justperry]

I am amazed you still have these AC units in the states, cheap but fugly.
Here most are split AC units or the movable AC units with a tube to the outside.

 

[mrow]

Controlling fan speed and temp are going to go a long way to saving energy. Finding a HomeKit compatible plug that'll support 15A and the wattage an AC pulls is going to be a challenge.

In the end, as I said before, you'll easily make up the price difference in a single summer compared to a conventional unit and won't have to go through the hassle of finding a HomeKit plug and losing remote control of temp and fan speed. Often it's worth spending a bit more money to get a better solution and one that's easier to use.

It’s not hard to find one at all.

Elgato Eve line can handle that wattage/amperage. So can iHome’s. So can iDevices. So can Belkin WeMo’s if you have the HomeKit bridge. So can the Koogeek. Etc. etc.

If you’re buying a new one and can get this for the MSRP price instead of the jacked up price Lowe’s is charging it’s probably worth it. If you already have a relatively new AC it is definitely not worth replacing with a new one when you can get a HomeKit compatible outlet for ~$30.

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Never got the obsession with America and ice cold temperatures and a million ice cubes in a drink for that matter lol

One simply should not come back home from a Miami summer with a cold!

Never got the obsession with Europeans and luke warm drinks and being uncomfortable inside your own home lol

 

[smithrh]

Never got the obsession with America and ice cold temperatures and a million ice cubes in a drink for that matter lol

Note to Europeans: it can get very hot and very humid for extended amounts of time nearly everywhere in the states. It wears you down.

I am amazed you still have these AC units in the states, cheap but fugly.
Here most are split AC units or the movable AC units with a tube to the outside.

It is what it is. I've used the split units in the middle-east, they're very effective for sure, but they just aren't popular here.

 

[mrow]

I am amazed you still have these AC units in the states, cheap but fugly.
Here most are split AC units or the movable AC units with a tube to the outside.

If you rent an apartment you can’t just drill a hole in your exterior wall and install a split unit, not to mention the cost is exponentially more.

 

[reden]

Seems expensive.

Everything with more technology in it gets more expensive as time goes by, get over it. If you want cheap, don't buy into the latest technology, wrap a cold towel around your head.

Never got the obsession with America and ice cold temperatures and a million ice cubes in a drink for that matter lol

One simply should not come back home from a Miami summer with a cold!

It's not an obsession with America, it's something that happens in more developed countries in general. If you can afford air conditioning to feel comfortable indoors, why should you have to suffer?

 

[yukio]

There are few HomeKit-enabled air conditioning units on the market at this point in time, with the only other HomeKit air conditioner available from Haier in a limited number of markets.

The GE appliances brand has been owned by Haier since June 2016.

 

[SkippyThorson]

So wait a second, after GE's partnership with Quirky on the Aros smart air conditioner (compatible with Wink)...

They move right along and release this design? Seriously...

 

[Phogro]

Everything with more technology in it gets more expensive as time goes by, get over it. If you want cheap, don't buy into the latest technology, wrap a cold towel around your head.

More like I'll just buy a nest and use central air. Window A/C is supposed to be the affordable option...

 

[CarlJ]

Never got the obsession with America and ice cold temperatures and a million ice cubes in a drink for that matter lol

One simply should not come back home from a Miami summer with a cold!

There are many parts of the US that get a lot hotter than many parts of Europe. I'm not obsessed with ice cold temperatures, but I do like bringing the inside temp down to the mid 80's degrees F (30ish C) during the bits of the year when it's over 100 degrees F (37ish C) outside. And I abhor ice cubes in drinks - they end up diluting the taste - appropriate drinks themselves should be chilled. But maybe not all Americans fit the exact same image you have in mind. And I came back from a European spring with a cold - I didn't blame it on Europe, but rather pre-trip exhaustion, and many long hours of air travel (with recirculated air and at least some sick people on the planes), and time changes, and exposure to new different strains of colds in an unfamiliar place. That seems to make more sense.

 

[rphouston]

So wait a second, after GE's partnership with Quirky on the Aros smart air conditioner (compatible with Wink)...

They move right along and release this design? Seriously...

 

[jclo]

Is it really Home-Kit Compatible? Looks like Lowe’s just made a mistake. Maybe I’m wrong but a little research before posting an article like this. People may buy just to be let down and then not trust this news source.

2 Pictures from Lowe’s main product page and then their spec page. Then 2 from ge main produce page, then spec sheet

I did look into this pretty thoroughly before posting. From what I can tell, GE is more heavily promoting the Alexa integration, but it does appear to be HomeKit compatible. In the manual for the machine, there's a specific HomeKit section that confirms that it comes with the HomeKit code to add it to a HomeKit setup.
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The GE appliances brand has been owned by Haier since June 2016.

Yeah, but the brands are separate.

 

[rphouston]

I’ve had an Aros since it came out in 2014; other than the fabric side wings (absolutely worthless), it’s been a great little unit. But it hasn’t received a firmware update for a while now, and I haven’t any idea when Wink will stop supporting it, so when it’s no longer usable, it’s nice to know there’s an alternative out there—even if it doesn’t look as nice.

 

[SigurTom]

Is it really Home-Kit Compatible? Looks like Lowe’s just made a mistake. Maybe I’m wrong but a little research before posting an article like this. People may buy just to be let down and then not trust this news source.

2 Pictures from Lowe’s main product page and then their spec page. Then 2 from ge main produce page, then spec sheet

View attachment 759439 View attachment 759440 View attachment 759441 View attachment 759442

More likely they didn't enter the classification data in their catalog properly. Attaching a screenshot from the user manual, which shows the homekit symbol.

http://products.geappliances.com/Ma...l/Dispatcher?RequestType=PDF&Name=49-7823.PDF

Also, it seems there is an AHP10AX (10,000 btu) model that shares this manual, and has a $329 MSRP, so maybe lowes is just doing it all wrong.