Munich, Germany – Tado arrived in the U.S. with a $199 Smart AC Control system that enables smartphone control of in-wall and in-window air conditioners.
The Smart AC Control is available at Tado.com and will be available in online and brick-and-mortar stores in the U.S. “in the coming months,” the company said.
The Tado device features Wi-Fi for control from a smartphone and uses an IR blaster to issue commands to the air conditioner. It can be mounted on a wall or placed on a surface, and it works with split (wall-mounted), in-window or portable AC units.
From a smartphone, users can remotely monitor home temperature and change settings. The device also features a matrix LED display and capacitive touch interface for making manual adjustments at home.
The device uses a smartphone’s location to sense when a smartphone user leaves the house and turns off the air conditioner. Tado’s app turns on the AC to pre-cool the house as the user approaches the house.
The hardware incorporates temperature, humidity, light, noise and motion sensors, some of which aren’t yet enabled but can be with future upgrades.
The company also plans in the future to turn on Apple HomeKit compatibility and Bluetooth LE.
The Tado app can be downloaded for free for iOS and Android. A Windows Phone app is coming soon.
