Philips Hue has one of the widest and most popular ranges of smart lights on the market, but its portfolio does have a few holes. Or at least it did, because this spring, Hue is releasing a new lineup of connected LED bulbs including new candle bulbs, refreshed spotlights, an updated portable smart light, some lighting accessories, and some hipster-friendly vintage-style Edison bulbs.
Starting in September, Philips is introducing a line of E12 white candle bulbs, which are a brand new addition to the Hue family. Priced at $US33 ($49) for a two pack, they are one of the least expensive Hue bulbs available, and like all of Hue’s new and revamped bulbs, they come with support for both Bluetooth connectivity and pairing with a standard Hue Bridge. However, these candles bulbs are only available in white, so if you’re looking to tweak the bulb’s colour temperature or colour, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Editor’s Note: Pricing and availability in Australia is yet to be confirmed, but they will likely be offered at all major retailers.
Next, Hue has also refreshed its line of $US55 ($81) GU10 spotlight bulbs, adding support for Bluetooth, increasing max light output from 250 lumens to 400 lumens, and adding both ‘white ambiance’ and ‘white ambiance and colour’ options to the range.
But the Hue light that got the biggest upgrade is the new $US80 ($118) Hue Go, which now comes with Blue support so you can actually use it as a portable smart light in places where Wi-Fi can’t reach. Available sometime in November, Philips has also given the Hue Go a massive boost in battery life, from around two to three hours, all the way up to 18 hours on a single charge. And like its spotlight bulbs, the Hue Go’s brightness has also gotten a bump up from 400 lumens to 520 lumens.
Meanwhile, to support its growing catalogue, Hue is releasing a new $US40 ($59) smart plug and $US20 ($29) smart button in October. The former can be used to convert old light fixtures or other gadgets into connected devices, which can then be programmed and controlled via the Hue app.
The smart button, on the other hand, is designed to make your lights easier to control, allowing you to set up various routines with a single press. For example, in the morning, one press could change your lights to a bright, slightly blue-tinted light to better wake you up and get your mind going, while a single press at night would shift your lights to a calmer, more yellow shade to help you fall asleep more easily.
Like Hue’s smart plugs, its smart buttons can be set up and configured in the Hue app, and also come with mounting plates to help you position them conveniently around your home.
Finally, in order to meet the demands of those looking for lights featuring new-school tech but with a more traditional appeal, Hue has a new line of vintage-style filament smart lights available in three different variations starting in October: a $US25 ($37) A19 bulb, a $US28 ($41) ST19 tube, and a $US33 ($49) G25 globe. All three can be used on Bluetooth or connected to a Hue bridge, and have ample brightness of 530 lumens. However, like the new Hue candle lights, colour temperature is not adjustable, with Hue’s vintage bulbs locked to 2100K.
While I’m secretly still hoping some company figures out to make a range of RGB-adjustable Edison bulbs, Hue’s latest additions should give smart home fans even more options for customising their abodes later this year.