India’s Internet of Things (IoT) market is growing and growing. The industry expects to see some two billion connected devices in India in 2020 (this is a pre-Covid estimate). From refrigerators and ACs to fans, cars and healthcare gadgets, almost everything is getting connected to the web, generating tonnes of data and employing artificial intelligence (AI) skills and more. From Whirlpool to Panasonic, most appliances makers have an IoT portfolio now. Japanese appliances giant Panasonic wants to get ahead of the curve by introducing its IoT platform MirAIe, which powers its recently-launched air conditioners and many other connected devices from Panasonic.

According to Panasonic, the MirAIe aims to offer an experience that is comfortable, convenient and connected. The Panasonic MirAIe AC is a compact, good-looking appliance. To be frank, it looks just like any other neatly designed air conditioner in the market. Panasonic, thankfully, hasn’t added any confusing design elements to the product (like some other makers have) and has kept the routine, and pleasing, form-factor for the AC so that users like me won’t get baffled in the first place. The AC’s edges fall and flow smoothly; the curves are great to look at, and they don’t reflect light the wrong way.

The Panasonic MirAIe AC comes with a five-year general warranty and a 10-year compressor warranty; the prices start from ₹35,990 onwards. The compressor unit comes with what Panasonic calls the Blue-Fin technology. The Blue-Fin condenser reportedly fights corrosion from air and water, and more efficiently than regular condensers. Installing the AC requires professional help since the hardware is heavy, just like your normal split AC. Panasonic’s technical support is quite efficient in our experience. We received the follow-up call on the day the product was delivered, and pretty soon the team reached the location to set up and connect the device.

Once the connected inverter AC is installed, it can be paired with the MirAIe app on your smartphone. The process is pretty simple and if you are familiar with the workings of smartphone apps, it is a cakewalk. Download and install the app on your phone (the app has Android and iOS versions) and pair it with the AC via an OTP. The phone and the AC should share the same WiFi for pairing and once paired the AC can be controlled remotely. The AC comes with a small, compact regular remote, which features most of the regular control buttons and functions.

A feature-rich app

The MirAIe app comes with a bouquet of options. Most of the options add to your comfort and make life so much easier. My favourite is the option to choreograph the AC’s performance during your night-sleep ― you can actually set temperature for each hour of your sleep and take rest without worrying about your sleep getting disturbed because of monotonous temperature management. The app has several other features, including the usual ones such as the buttons to turn on and turn off the device, manage temperature, set timers, and choose various modes of cooling, among others.

But a few other innovative features make the MirAIe app even more interesting. It notifies you when the filters get dirty and need a change, or when the AC is overworking or needs a service, set custom sleep modes, etc. It would have been great if there was an option to auto-adjust the AC’s cooling based on the outside temperature so that, for instance, when it rains outside and the ambient temperature is down, the AC can bring down the cooling temperature accordingly. But I guess that would take some sensors and hardware tweaks, which would make the appliance way higher than what it is now.

The app also allows you to choose a clean-air mode which gives you filtered and purified air. The MirAIe ACs use Panasonic’s own nanoe-G technology. According to Panasonic, this works by charging dust particles as small as PM2.5 with negative electricity and grabs them. The AC uses a suction airflow to catch the dust and collect it in an air filter. This means the room’s air gets cleaned non-stop as long as the AC is on. This option can be extremely useful for rooms where senior citizens or children stay, especially in polluted urban environments.

 

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The MirAIe app allows you to control the AC with voice commands. MirAIe supports Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant and Google’s Assistant. The skills don’t come embedded in the app; you have to install it separately via Amazon and Google and use your device (such as the Amazon Echo Dot or Show) to control the AC. That said, the regular voice commands have shown some transmission delays in our experience.

In sum, the Panasonic MirAIe inverter AC offers great comfort and customisation while providing a seamless, hassle-free connected experience. Easily, especially given the price, this is a good device to start your journey towards an IoT home.

Price: Starting from ₹35,990

Pros: Good design, compact size, impressive connected experience via the MirAIe app; affordable price, good warranty

Cons: Voice commands struggle at times

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