{"id":199557,"date":"2025-09-04T12:46:30","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T12:46:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/199557\/"},"modified":"2025-09-04T12:46:30","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T12:46:30","slug":"philips-hue-lights-get-bigger-brighter-and-cheaper-with-a-major-product-refresh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/199557\/","title":{"rendered":"Philips Hue lights get bigger, brighter, and cheaper with a major product refresh"},"content":{"rendered":"

Smart lighting company Philips Hue debuted a bunch of new products this week at the IFA tech show in Berlin, Germany, and most of them are available now. The launch, which is the biggest in the company\u2019s history, includes cheaper smart lights, a new bridge for its Zigbee ecosystem, a redesigned line of light strips, and new software features and connectivity capabilities. Hue also introduced its first video doorbell and an upgraded camera<\/a> to its Hue Secure line.<\/p>\n

Hue\u2019s third-generation bridge arrives<\/p>\n

The Hue Bridge Pro ($98.99 \/ \u20ac89.99) is a total redesign of the ecosystem\u2019s central hub and the first upgrade to Hue\u2019s bridge in 10 years. It connects to Hue\u2019s Zigbee bulbs and accessories to add features like lighting scenes, dynamic effects, schedules, and out-of-home control. Sporting a new black look, it has a faster processor, more memory, and increased capacity. Designed to appeal to Hue super-users, it can connect 150 lights and 50 accessories (a soft limit) \u2014 that\u2019s three times the capacity of the V2 bridge, which is not being retired.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

The new Hue Bridge Pro (center) is the third generation of the company\u2019s Zigbee hub. Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy \/ The Verge<\/p>\n

Additionally, the Pro can store over 500 custom lighting scenes and provide faster response times, according to Signify, Hue\u2019s parent company. Its Hue Chip Pro enables the company\u2019s new Hue MotionAware feature<\/a>, which turns your existing Hue lights into motion sensors for motion-activated lighting and security features. The Pro finally brings Wi-Fi (2.4GHz) to a Hue bridge, so it doesn\u2019t have to sit next to your router.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a migration tool that will transfer all the settings of your current Bridge with a few taps. The company says support for combining multiple bridges into a single Bridge Pro will arrive before the end of the year. The Hue Bridge Pro is available now.<\/p>\n

New line of low-cost lights<\/p>\n

Well known for being one of the pricier, premium smart lighting companies, Philips Hue has announced a new entry-level lineup of smart lights<\/a>, which it says is designed to appeal to new smart home users.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

The new Hue Essentials line features an A19 bulb and a GU10 spotlight, among other options. The design of the A19 harkens back to that of the original Hue bulb. Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy \/ The Verge<\/p>\n

Starting at $25 per bulb, or as low as $15 in a multipack, the new Hue Essential lineup includes A19 bulbs ($24.99, or a four-pack for $60), BR30 downlight ($24.99, or a two-pack for $40), and GU10 spotlights ($24.99, or a four-pack for $60). An RGB color Essential Strip Light costs $59.99 for 5 meters and $99.99 for 10, and an Essential Flex Strip Light, a new neon option for Hue, is available for $99.99 for 5 meters and $169.99 for 10 meters.<\/p>\n

These lights are compatible with the Hue Bridge (V2 and Pro) and have all the same capabilities and connectivity features as the company\u2019s higher-end lights, just with lower specs. The key differences are that they don\u2019t dim as low, have a narrower range of white (2200\u20136500K), and offer more basic color quality.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

A comparison between Hue\u2019s Essential line and its flagship line. Image: Signify<\/p>\n

The Essential bulbs (not the light strips) will also support Matter-over-Thread connectivity<\/a>, as part of a next-gen connectivity chip for all its new bulbs. This will be alongside the \u201ccore technologies\u201d of Bluetooth and Zigbee.<\/p>\n

This means you can connect them directly to Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, or any Matter platform. (You\u2019ll need a Matter controller and Thread border router for setup.) Previously, you needed a Hue Bridge to connect to Apple Home, but you could connect to Alexa via Bluetooth or Zigbee with the right Echo Hub.<\/p>\n

The bulbs are available now, with the light strips slated for December. There will be several starter kit options that bundle lights with Hue Bridge V2, starting at $79.99.<\/p>\n

\"Hue\u2019s<\/a><\/p>\n

Hue\u2019s new A19 bulbs now come with Matter-over-Thread connectivity. Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy \/ The Verge<\/p>\n

Along with the launch of its lower-cost line, Hue is revamping its flagship bulb, the Philips Hue A19. The company says the new model is 40 percent more energy efficient compared to its prior bulbs, and can dim to 0.2 percent brightness. The color-capable versions maintain Hue\u2019s top color-matching quality, which the company is now calling ChromaSync<\/a>, to differentiate from the Essentials.<\/p>\n

All the new Hue bulbs also have the next-gen connectivity chip, which supports Matter-over-Thread connectivity to connect to any Matter-compatible smart home platform. They\u2019re available now, starting at $59.99 for white and color ambiance, $44.99 for white ambiance, and $15.99 for white.<\/p>\n

Hue\u2019s existing bulbs will not be upgraded to Matter-over-Thread, and the Bridge Pro does not support Thread, but existing Hue bulbs can be bridged to Matter through the Bridge V2 or Bridge Pro.<\/p>\n

Lots of love for light strips<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

The new OmniGlow strip is designed to be seen. Image: Signify<\/p>\n

The company\u2019s line of light strips is being expanded and will feature seven models, which are set to launch in the US in March. The flagship model is the new OmniGlow strip light, which Signify\u2019s John Smith says is \u201cthe best light strip we\u2019ve ever made.\u201d It uses advanced chip-scale-package (CSP) technology to get rid of the spottiness commonly found on most light strips, packing together 170 tiny LEDs in each square centimeter. It can dim down to 0.5 percent and pump out up to 4,500 lumens of brightness.<\/p>\n

Along with the two new Essential light strips, Hue is introducing a less expensive version of its white and color gradient ambient light strip. The Hue Flux Strip Light costs $70 for 3 meters and $99.99 for 5 meters. An Ultra Bright version that can also reach up to 6,000 lumens is slated to launch later next year.<\/p>\n

The new light strips will all work with a new line of accessories from Hue, which includes corners, blackout cables, and extenders that can reach up to 20 meters, providing more flexibility when placing the strips. Outdoors, a new gradient light strip and neon strip are joining the lineup. All of the new lights, except for the Essentials, feature ChromaSync technology but operate over Zigbee and Bluetooth only, without Thread.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a rundown of the new light strip lineup:<\/p>\n