GE Rolls Out Siri-Ready AC Units, Called First US Appliances Based on HomeKit

The first General Electric air conditioners controllable by Apple’s HomeKit software have reached Home Depot, Lowe’s and other GE appliance dealers, making GE the first U.S.-based appliance maker to introduce a HomeKit-compatible product line, GE said Thursday. After adding an AC unit to the HomeKit app, users can turn on a unit, schedule operation by time and control the appliance from outside the home, it said. Inside the home, they can control them using Siri voice control, an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Apple Watch or via the HomePod smart speaker, it said. For remote control outside the home, AC owners need a HomeKit home hub: a HomePod, fourth-generation Apple TV or an iPad with the latest version of iOS, it said. While HomeKit doesn’t add specifically to the cost of an AC unit, Wi-Fi connectivity and associated components are positioned as upgrades to standard models, a spokesperson told us.