Huawei HarmonyOS Smart Select Launches 4 AI Air Conditioners

Huawei Expands Smart Home Push With 4 New AI-Powered Air Conditioners

Huawei's HarmonyOS Connect (also known as HarmonyOS Smart Select) has opened pre-sales for 4 new smart air conditioner models, marking another aggressive expansion of the company's smart home ecosystem. The new units, manufactured by Midea and MEIPONT, range from approximately $690 to $1,060 (4,999 to 7,699 CNY) and feature AI-driven climate sensing, fresh air ventilation, and deep integration with the HarmonyOS platform.

The pre-sale launched on May 8 at 8:00 PM Beijing time, positioning these products as part of Huawei's broader 'Healthy Air Series.' This move underscores Huawei's strategy of leveraging its operating system ecosystem to penetrate the lucrative smart home appliance market — a space traditionally dominated by standalone appliance makers.

Key Facts at a Glance

• 4 new smart AC models launched under HarmonyOS Connect branding
• Price range: $690 to $1,060 (4,999–7,699 CNY)
• Manufacturers: Midea and MEIPONT (a Midea sub-brand)
• Standout feature: AI Human Sensing Smart Wind 2.0 technology
• Innovation highlight: Industry-first silent dual fresh air system
• Ecosystem: Full integration with Huawei's HarmonyOS smart home platform

The Full Product Lineup and Pricing

The 4 models target different segments of the premium air conditioning market. Each unit offers distinct capabilities tailored to specific user needs, from whole-room airflow to sleep-optimized ventilation.

Here is the complete pricing breakdown:

• MEIPONT Smart AC 'Eye of Wind God' Fresh Air Edition: $690 (4,999 CNY) — Split-type AC with silent dual fresh air technology
• Midea Smart AC Air Machine Pro: $745 (5,399 CNY) — Premium smart air conditioning unit
• MEIPONT Smart AC 'Eye of Wind God': $965 (6,999 CNY) — 3-HP floor-standing cabinet unit with AI Human Sensing 2.0
• Midea Smart AC Full Wind Pro: $1,060 (7,699 CNY) — Top-tier model with comprehensive airflow coverage

Compared to similar premium smart AC units from competitors like Gree and Haier, these models sit in the mid-to-high price range. However, the HarmonyOS integration adds a layer of ecosystem value that standalone smart appliances typically lack.

AI Human Sensing Technology Takes Center Stage

The most technologically interesting product in the lineup is the MEIPONT 'Eye of Wind God' floor-standing unit. This 3-HP cabinet air conditioner features what the company calls AI Human Sensing Smart Wind 2.0 — a fully upgraded version of its predecessor's intelligent airflow management system.

The technology uses sensors to detect human presence, position, and activity levels within a room. Based on this data, the AC automatically adjusts wind direction, speed, and temperature to optimize comfort. MEIPONT's marketing tagline — 'comfortable no matter how it blows' — reflects the system's promise of eliminating common complaints like direct cold air hitting users or uneven room temperatures.

This approach mirrors broader trends in AI-powered climate control. Companies like Daikin, Samsung, and LG have all introduced similar human-sensing features in their premium lines over the past 2 years. However, the tight integration with HarmonyOS gives these models an advantage in homes already invested in Huawei's ecosystem, enabling cross-device automation scenarios that standalone smart ACs cannot easily replicate.

Silent Dual Fresh Air: A First for Split-Type ACs

The MEIPONT 'Eye of Wind God' Fresh Air Edition introduces what the company claims is an industry-first: silent dual fresh air technology in a split-type air conditioning unit. This system is designed to continuously circulate outdoor fresh air into the room while maintaining low noise levels — a critical factor for bedroom installations.

Traditional fresh air systems in residential AC units have struggled with a fundamental trade-off: higher ventilation rates mean more noise. MEIPONT's dual-channel approach reportedly addresses this by splitting the airflow path, reducing turbulence and the associated acoustic signature.

The product is specifically marketed toward sleep quality improvement, with the company promising 'true comfortable sleep.' At $690, it is the most affordable model in the new lineup, suggesting Huawei and MEIPONT are targeting volume sales for this particular unit. Sleep-focused smart home products have seen growing demand globally, with the sleep technology market projected to exceed $100 billion by 2027 according to various industry estimates.

Why Huawei Is Betting Big on Smart Home Appliances

Huawei's smart home strategy is fundamentally different from how Western tech giants like Apple and Google approach the space. While Apple's HomeKit and Google's Google Home primarily serve as software platforms that third-party devices connect to, Huawei takes a more hands-on approach through HarmonyOS Connect.

Under this model, Huawei works directly with manufacturers to co-develop products that run HarmonyOS natively. This results in deeper integration — these air conditioners don't just respond to voice commands or appear in an app. They can participate in complex automation routines, share sensor data with other HarmonyOS devices, and receive OTA firmware updates through Huawei's infrastructure.

The business rationale is clear. With Huawei's smartphone business still recovering from US sanctions, the company needs alternative revenue streams and ecosystem touchpoints. Smart home appliances serve both purposes:

• They generate direct revenue through licensing and co-branding arrangements
• They increase ecosystem stickiness, making it harder for users to switch away from Huawei devices
• They provide data and usage insights that improve HarmonyOS platform capabilities
• They position Huawei as a full-stack technology provider rather than just a phone maker

This latest launch brings the total number of HarmonyOS Connect certified products to well over 1,000, spanning categories from lighting and security cameras to kitchen appliances and now advanced HVAC systems.

How This Compares to Western Smart Home Ecosystems

For Western readers, the closest parallel to HarmonyOS Connect would be Amazon's Alexa ecosystem or Samsung's SmartThings platform — but with significantly deeper hardware integration. While an Alexa-compatible air conditioner might support voice control and basic scheduling, a HarmonyOS Connect unit shares a common software framework with the user's phone, tablet, TV, and other connected devices.

The Matter protocol, which Apple, Google, Amazon, and Samsung jointly support, aims to achieve similar interoperability in Western markets. However, Matter is still in its early adoption phase, and the level of AI-driven automation seen in these new HarmonyOS air conditioners — particularly the human-sensing wind adjustment — goes beyond what most Matter-compatible devices currently offer.

Key differences between the approaches include:

• HarmonyOS Connect: Deep OS-level integration, co-developed hardware, centralized ecosystem control
• Matter/HomeKit/Google Home: Open protocol, broader manufacturer support, less integrated but more flexible
• Alexa Built-in: Strong voice control, wide compatibility, but limited cross-device AI features
• Samsung SmartThings: Growing ecosystem with Tizen/One UI integration, but hardware partnerships less formalized than Huawei's model

What This Means for the Global Smart Home Market

While these specific products are launching in China, the underlying technology and business model carry implications for the global smart home industry. Huawei has repeatedly signaled its intention to expand HarmonyOS Connect internationally, and partnerships with major appliance manufacturers like Midea — which already has significant global distribution — could accelerate that timeline.

For consumers, the key takeaway is that AI-powered HVAC is rapidly moving from luxury novelty to mainstream expectation. Features like human-presence detection, adaptive airflow, and sleep optimization are becoming standard differentiators in the premium AC segment worldwide.

For the industry, Huawei's approach demonstrates the growing importance of ecosystem lock-in as a competitive strategy. Appliance manufacturers are no longer just competing on cooling efficiency or energy ratings — they are competing on which software platform they align with and what cross-device experiences they can enable.

Looking Ahead: The Smart Climate Control Race Heats Up

The launch of these 4 models is likely just the beginning of Huawei's 2025 smart home offensive. Industry observers expect additional product categories and manufacturer partnerships to be announced throughout the year, particularly as HarmonyOS NEXT — Huawei's fully independent operating system that drops Android compatibility — continues to mature.

The broader trend of AI-integrated home climate control shows no signs of slowing down. As large language models and edge AI processors become more capable and affordable, expect future smart AC units to offer conversational controls, predictive energy management based on weather forecasts and utility pricing, and even health monitoring through air quality sensors.

For now, these 4 products represent a compelling proof of concept: AI-powered comfort, deep ecosystem integration, and competitive pricing. Whether Huawei can translate this formula to markets beyond China remains the critical question — but the technology foundation is clearly being built with global ambitions in mind.