Hisense’s IFA showcase spans giant Mini-LED TVs, laser projectors and a wave of AI-powered appliances, but the most practical everyday upgrade could be its U8 S Pro Air Conditioner.
With presence-aware cooling, built-in voice control, and on-board purification, it aims to make things smarter, cleaner, and more efficient.
The standout: U8 S Pro Air Conditioner
The U8 S Pro arrives with a spec sheet that reads like a wish list for set‑and‑forget comfort. Its HI-SENSOR system tracks presence and movement in the room, then automatically adjusts airflow, temperature and humidity so you’re not overcooling empty spaces or sitting in a cold draft.
A built-in AI voice assistant recognises 18 voice commands for hands-free tweaks — useful when you’re cooking, working out, or simply don’t want to reach for a remote.
For air quality, Hisense includes its HI-NANO ion system to help purify the air, and a 90° rotation with Coanda airflow aims to distribute cooled air more evenly throughout the room, rather than blasting a single spot.
It’s also a Red Dot Award winner, underscoring the focus on design alongside the smarts. Could it be one of the best smart air conditioners of 2025?
Why these AI features matter
If the U8 S Pro genuinely modulates output based on occupancy and motion, you should spend less time micromanaging temperature and more time simply being comfortable.
Pair that with humidity control, and you get a better overall feel at a given set point — potentially using less energy than cranking the AC lower. Even airflow matters, too: a rotating louver and Coanda effect can reduce hot and cold spots, which is often the difference between “fine” and “why does my office corner still feel stuffy?”
The voice assistant is the wildcard. Eighteen built-in commands cover basics, but we’ll want to see how natural the recognition is, whether commands chain smoothly (“raise fan speed and set 72 degrees”), and how it plays with a noisy room. We’ll also look for clarity on privacy and processing — is voice handled locally, and what data does presence tracking use or store?
Cleaner air, less friction
The inclusion of the HI-NANO ion system puts the U8 S Pro in the growing camp of comfort-plus-clean air devices. If you’re prone to allergies or live in a city apartment, that’s a valuable addition — provided ionisation is effective without adding ozone, and filter maintenance remains straightforward.
We’ll want to test how much of a difference it makes versus a good standalone purifier and whether the AC’s airflow helps circulate cleaner air to the far reaches of the room.
Hisense’s ConnectLife AI platform is the glue across its smart home. At IFA, the company is debuting ConnectLife AI Agent, which underpins focused assistants like AI Cooking Agent for meal personalisation and AI Laundry Agent for optimised wash cycles, and integrates IntelliSense sensors for more efficient energy management across the home.
That matters for the U8 S Pro because an AC is one of the most energy-intensive devices you own. If ConnectLife can coordinate schedules, occupancy data and energy insights between appliances, there’s real potential for savings that feels genuinely automated rather than scripted.
The rest of the smart lineup (in brief)
PureFlat Smart Series fridge
The refrigerator features a 21-inch interactive screen with Super Cooling and Interactive Creativity for photos and AI art. The Kitchen AI function can plan meals, personalise recipes and even deliver voice-guided cocktail instructions; while the screen can stream from VIDAA or mirror live games while you cook.
Home entertainment
The 116-inch RGB-MiniLED UX TV offers peak brightness of up to 8,000 nits; with Hi-View AI Engine X that optimizes every frame in real time, plus it features new laser projection options with larger screens and gaming-friendly latency.
Hisense’s message at IFA 2025 is clear: AI is coming for the everyday appliances you rely on.
The U8 S Pro Air Conditioner appears to be the most immediately useful upgrade, combining presence-awareness, integrated voice control, smarter airflow, and built-in purification in a tidy, design-forward package.
We’ll need pricing, ecosystem details and hands-on testing to confirm how well it all works, but on paper, this is exactly the kind of practical AI we like to see in the home.
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