Page 3 - A Closer Look - Software
The BLUETTI FridgePower has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support, where you can connect your smartphone with an app to configure the system anywhere over the Internet when associated with your BLUETTI account.
If you choose to connect to the BLUETTI FridgePower via Wi-Fi, you will need to create an account and associate the power station with your account. It will also need to configure your power station to connect to Wi-Fi, which requires access to your location on your phone. I do not believe this is really necessary, as you can manually the SSID name and key, but it will not let you do that without location being enabled. Furthermore, there is no option for the FridgePower to just show all the nearby Wi-Fi networks. This makes the process unnecessarily complicated, and makes me awfully suspicious why the app needs my location.
Once Wi-Fi configuration is complete, you should be able to access the FridgePower over the Internet. Unfortunately, while I was able to get my FridgePower online, it will not connect to the BLUETTI servers even with the latest firmware. Regardless of over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, the BLUETTI app starts off with the main screen, shown in the above screenshot. It is an improvement since I first looked at it with the Elite 200 V2 -- which you can see I still use, by the way -- with the removal of excessive tiles on the main screen. I still feel like the unrelated weather widget at the top along with an advertisement underneath it can be removed though.
Once you are connected to the portable power station, you will be brought to the power station's main page. The power station's main page is pretty well-designed in my opinion, with good use of graphics and animations for a smooth look and feel. Here, you can monitor all the inputs and outputs as well as the battery state of charge. The output can be toggled as well. The FridgePower can be shut down via the app, but you will not be able to turn it back on unless you are physically at the power station.
Settings can be configured by pulling up a second screen. There are more configurable settings once you associate the device with your account, such as setting a Bluetooth connection password, sharing full device access with other accounts, and enabling/disabling the Visitor Access function. Disabling Visitor Access will still allow Bluetooth connections, but it will be read only, and settings cannot be changed. It is nice to actually get Bluetooth security on the FridgePower, as this is not available on the AC50B and AC70 units I tried. However, you cannot configure Bluetooth security options unless you connect the FridgePower to the Internet and associate it with your BLUETTI account. This feels forced and unnecessary in my opinion, especially if you do not want to connect your power station to the company's servers.
Regardless of association with your BLUETTI account, you can toggle features like charging mode, Power Lifting mode, AC frequency, and ECO mode. The FridgePower has additional backup options like Extreme Weather Alert, which charges the system to its maximum capacity if an alert is detected. Timer Switch and Battery Level Thresholds are settings to optimize power management by turning off high-power devices based on time and battery levels, respectively. Backup Reserve changes to UPS mode for scheduled outages.
You can also configure the Display 1 settings here. Configurable options include the temperature unit in Fahrenheit or Celsius and display timeout.
One interesting feature the FridgePower has is Working Mode. Configurable settings include Standard UPS, PV Priority UPS, Time Control UPS, and Customized UPS. All of them affect the way the power station is charged and discharged. Standard UPS has no configurable options. PV Priority UPS allows you to set a maximum level that is charged by the grid, where the remaining is to be charged by an optional solar panel. Time Control UPS is similar to PV Priority, except it allows you to configure a battery level range and time periods for grid and solar charging. Customized UPS is the same as Time Control UPS, except it allows you to manually toggle time of use and charging on or off. I find these settings very useful, as they allow you to use the BLUETTI FridgePower to charge and discharge based on solar power availability and electricity pricing, essentially using the power station as a battery backup solution.
One feature we have long asked for is the option to limit the battery charge between 80% and 100% in 5% increments to preserve battery longevity. The FridgePower has this feature under Advanced Settings. You can configure the charge limit to be as low as 80%. By default, it is set at 90%. I am happy this feature finally made it to production, and it works exactly as intended.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. A Closer Look - Hardware
3. A Closer Look - Software
4. Test Results
5. Conclusion
