Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

UPDATE Feb 25 - So I know its the middle of winter but I tried to turn on the Aros and it is now dead. Lights turn on, something sounds like its trying to work and then nothing. I've cleaned it, unplugged it and plugged it back in...still nothing. It was a $300 gamble being an early adopter and I lost. I'm over it....going back to my trusty quieter old school frigidaire. On a positive note, its not super loud anymore! UPDATE MAY 13 - It's grown on me. After readjusting my expectations that it was not exactly going to revolutionize the air conditioner and focused on how well it works, I am much happier. It cools really well on the low setting negating my issue with noise. The low setting is pretty powerful, not any louder than other 8000btu A/C units and the higher settings are not really necessary. The app works great for me and the "wings" situation is not the end of the world, yes there are gaps but they are not that huge and can be covered up. And it turns out the airflow blowing up really does help cooling it down faster as well as not blowing in your face like other units when your sit near it. I still think this is best used in a living room and not exactly best for a bedroom. I was on the fence about keeping it at first but now after using it for a few days, I've decided to keep as I think the pros outweigh the cons. It is by far the best looking A/C unit out there. I ordered this a couple months ago and have been waiting patiently for it as I was quite excited to get an air conditioner that was going to be much better than the typical A/C unit I've always had. I've spent the morning with it and will share what I have learned. Also, this is not my first A/C unit....I have had several over the last 20 years, from Frigidaire to Friedrich, all with their own pros and cons. First thing, this puppy is loud. Plain and simple. The low setting is bearable but medium and high settings are pretty loud. Hopefully the low setting will be all I need to keep the place cool. Granted it is a white noise where you aren't hearing rattling or vibrating that would be more more annoying. I got this for the living room with the hope I could get another one for my bedroom...that's probably not happening. On top of the fan, the LED lights showing the temperature are pretty bright in a dark bedroom. So I guess if you don't mind the light or are a heavy sleeper, this would work for you. The design of the unit is really nice and it looks good....nothing out there even close to it. Something new is the way the output is directed, instead of on the front, they are on the top and the airflow shoots up. I guess that is good if you don't like the air blowing on you. Also, if you live in an older home like I do with a deep set window sill, the air will have a hard time getting out if you have blinds or curtains but that wont affect everyone but good to know if you have the same kind of window sills. And just an FYI, the airflow from the unit is much stronger on the right side than the left which is common among many units. Installation: Not too bad, if you have installed one before, you should be fine. There are minimal instructions in the included manual and one step that's not included. There are 2 plastic pieces that need to be slid in to hold the vinyl wings in place. After a call to customer service and a bloody finger, I was able to shimmy them in. They are tricky and it is a tight fit. After speaking to Customer Service, they admitted this was an error with the manufacturer and the plastic pieces were already supposed to be installed, so that's why there was no mention of them in the manual. They are updating their site with a video to take you through the process. App/Wifi set up: This was pretty easy thankfully as there is nothing about it in the manual. I was able to set everything up fairly easily. New Features: One of the coolest features that made me want to get this is the Smart Away system (geofencing)that allows the unit to see you coming home from the GPS on your phone and automatically turn on the A/C so that your place is nice and cold upon arrival without leaving it on all day. Well after a call to Customer Service I find out that it will turn on when you are within 50 meters of your house/wifi. BUT after talking with them again was told that feature to customize distance will be active within the next week. There was an issue with phone battery drain that has been fixed. Remote: There isn't one, you use your phone. Which is cool but if you lock your phone with a passcode like most people, the extra steps become annoying. Sometimes simple is just better. Would be nice if a basic remote came with it but its not a dealbreaker. Excellent Customer Service: Super nice people who answered with little wait time who were still learning about the Aros but were able to address the problems that they could fix. They have called and emailed me to address my problems and gripes. That really makes a difference I must say and they get a star just for that. Overall first impression: It is pretty much the same guts as a typical average A/C unit that's been made to look as pretty as an A/C can look with some cool features. I'm going to give it the 30 days and see how it goes. It is loud but so are most other 8000 btu units out there. I either have to get used to it or go smaller with another brand which most likely wouldn't properly cool my place down. I gave it 2 stars for the exceptional design over all other units out there and another for their excellent customer service. Trying to reinvent something like this is not easy and hopefully it will get better with time and as early adopters we have to deal with the kinks.