Thousands of GE Appliances’ Owners Download First-Ever Air Fry Upgrade for Ovens

Owners with Smart Ovens Purchased in Last Four Years Received First Eligible Feature Upgrades for Connected Appliances

LOUISVILLE, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a demonstration of the vast opportunities available through WiFi-enabled appliance purchases, GE Appliances, a Haier company rolled out air fry upgrades during the month of April to the owners of more than 60 smart oven models across CAFÉ, GE Profile and Haier brands. With the firm belief in innovation that makes the lives of consumers easier, more efficient and more personalized, GE Appliances drives a mindset that we are “Better When Connected.”

By leveraging existing No-Preheat Air Fry technology in new appliance offerings from the company, engineers were able to push the technology via an over-the-air software download to previously sold appliances with WiFi capabilities. As a result, a whole new group of consumers can now enjoy the crunch without the calories and no additional purchase:

• More than 13,000 owners and counting have downloaded the No-Preheat Air Fry upgrade since April 1.
• The company also saw a boost of more than 143% in monthly usage of Air Fry modes on GE Appliances’ connected ovens due to the campaign.

Are you ready to Air Fry? To keep the heat up in the kitchen, GE Profile developed a Spotify playlist of spicy tunes for consumers to listen to while they air fry and a series of recipes to try at home.

“This is just the beginning of what we are cooking up for our owners with appliances that actually get better over time. We encourage those who haven’t yet connected their ovens or downloaded the free upgrade to join the thousands of owners already using air fry technology in their ovens. This is just the start for our over-the-air feature upgrades and the future of smarter cooking,” said Keith Larsen, Product Marketing Senior Director for cooking at GE Appliances.

Air Fry upgrades launched on April 1 via a tongue-in-cheek campaign, #AirFryApril. Rick Hasselbeck, the chief commercial officer of GE Appliances, took to the streets to hand-deliver empty boxes of hot air to consumers. And because he could only cover so much ground in one day, some consumers received their gifts as airdropped surprises from drones that swept the nation.

For more on how it works or to check eligibility, visit the GE Appliances pressroom, GE Appliances website or CAFÉ Appliances website. Beyond access to software upgrades, consumers who connect their appliances through the SmartHQ app also benefit from features such as remote start, appliance notifications for completed cycles and monitoring of cooking progress from a handheld device.

About GE Appliances

GE Appliances strives to make the world a better place and is committed to leading in the U.S. communities where its 14,000 employees live and work. A purpose-rooted and passion-driven organization, GE Appliances believes there is always a better way. Headquartered in Louisville, Ky., products are sold under the Monogram®, CAFÉ™, GE Profile™, GE® Appliances, Haier, and Hotpoint® brands. Its appliances, which are in half of all U.S. homes., include refrigerators, freezers, cooking products, dishwashers, washers, dryers, air conditioners, water filtration systems, water heaters and small appliances. For more information, visit www.geappliancesco.com