Philips hue app-controlled lightbulbs debut exclusively at Apple stores

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Dubbed "the world's smartest LED bulb," the new Philips hue is an iOS application-controlled lightbulb that will be available only in Apple retail stores.

hue


Apple's stores will begin carrying the hue on Tuesday, priced at $199 for a starter pack with three bulbs of 600 lumen and a hue bridge to connect the bulbs to a home network.

Each bulb offers all shades of white and a variety of color, and they use 80 percent less power than a traditional light bulb while providing the equivalent of a 500 watt bulb. A huge introduction pack can expand to up to 50 individual bulbs, and each bulb is priced at $59.

With an iOS application, hue allows users to remotely control their home lighting, and personalize settings such as timers. Philips also says that its bulbs are upgradeable and future-proof, as more features can be downloaded in the future.

The hue app also features what Philips has called "LightRecipes," which are four pre-programmed lighting settings based on the company's research regarding the biological effects that lighting has on the body. The scenarios adjust bulbs to the optimum shade and brightness of white light to help users relax, read, concentrate or energize.

Other features of Philips hue, according to the company, are:
  • Save your favorite light scenes for each room or time of day and recall them in an instant
  • Use any photo on your phone as a color palette to paint your room with light and bring your memories back to life
  • Tune white light from warm candlelight to vibrant, cool white light
  • Create ambience or complement your decor with the colors of the rainbow
  • Control and monitor your lights remotely when not at home for security and peace of mind
  • Set timers to help manage your daily routine
  • Let light wake you up refreshed or help your loved ones fall asleep
"Philips hue is a game-changer in lighting ? a completely new way to experience and interact with light," said Jeroen de Waal, head of marketing and strategy at Philips Lighting. "In the way phones, media and entertainment have been revolutionized by digital technology, now we can also personalize light and enjoy limitless applications.

"Philips continues to redefine the possibilities of LED technology, and hue pushes the boundaries even more, not only in offering great light quality, but in how lighting can be digitized and integrated with our world to further simplify and enhance our lives."

The hue marks yet another home automation device being pushed by Apple in its retail stores. The iPhone maker already carries the Next learning thermostat, which also connects to iPhones via a free application, and aims to reduce users' power bills.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 41
    sdw2001sdw2001 Posts: 18,014member
    $200 starter pack and $60 lightbulbs. OK then.
  • Reply 2 of 41
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,239member
    I'd check your story. A 600 lumen lamp is not as bright as a typical 500w lamp. It's more in the 60w neighborhood.
  • Reply 3 of 41
    At those prices it had better have a 5 year unlimited manufacturer's warranty. I've purchased LED bulbs that lasted only 2 years before the electronics in the "bulb" went bad, and the LEDs started flickering and very dimly.
  • Reply 4 of 41
    They are equivalent to 50-Watt (according to CBC and common sense), not 500-Watt.
  • Reply 5 of 41
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    At those prices it had better have a 5 year unlimited manufacturer's warranty. I've purchased LED bulbs that lasted only 2 years before the electronics in the "bulb" went bad, and the LEDs started flickering and very dimly.

    At those prices they better install themselves.

    Even if they were the same prices as regular lightbulbs I don't see one reason why I'd want to control bulbs individually from my iDevice.
  • Reply 6 of 41
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    Why the frick is this USA site reporting on Dutch affairs anyhoo these days?

    Oh; /s
  • Reply 7 of 41
    How many awful typos! I'm embarrassed for this blog right now.
  • Reply 8 of 41
    It's call the Nest Learning Themostat. Not the Next.
  • Reply 9 of 41
    It's "nest" not "next" thermostat as well...
  • Reply 10 of 41


    MUCH rather just have, you know, a centralized control system instead of each individual BULB having controls and costing stupid money.


     


    Put a 9.7" screen in the wall where each light switch would regularly have been, control lights, music, televisions, oven, washer/dryer, thermostat. Every dang thing. Mac Mini in the basement handling the processing.

  • Reply 11 of 41
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by SDW2001 View Post



    $200 starter pack and $60 lightbulbs. OK then.


    Yep. Seems like a stocking decision made by a California billionaire who is out of touch with real family budgets.

  • Reply 12 of 41
    solsunsolsun Posts: 763member
    See the Hue clip: http://www.meethue.com/en-US
  • Reply 13 of 41

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    MUCH rather just have, you know, a centralized control system instead of each individual BULB having controls and costing stupid money.


     


    Put a 9.7" screen in the wall where each light switch would regularly have been, control lights, music, televisions, oven, washer/dryer, thermostat. Every dang thing. Mac Mini in the basement handling the processing.



    Yes, but you can't control the color of the lightbulb from the light switch. That can only be done from within.

  • Reply 14 of 41
    boeyc15boeyc15 Posts: 986member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by ascii View Post


    Yep. Seems like a stocking decision made by a California billionaire who is out of touch with real family budgets.



     


    What???

  • Reply 15 of 41
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member


    Really? Light bulbs in the Apple store? Have they got room for that? Should they have room for that? Whilst the bulbs sound very cool I struggle to see how lighting needs to have its 'game changed'. And at $60 a pop I am not sure the game is worth it. At 50 watts each you are going to need a few, and really, who wants to memorize their favourite ambient lighting settings? Pink with a touch of yellow in the late morning? Just as breakfast is about to end? Mmmmm....  If anything will give Mac users a bad name, this is the one. The New Apple Store - Amazon for the very wealthy and not so bright.

  • Reply 16 of 41
    boeyc15boeyc15 Posts: 986member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    MUCH rather just have, you know, a centralized control system instead of each individual BULB having controls and costing stupid money.


     


    Put a 9.7" screen in the wall where each light switch would regularly have been, control lights, music, televisions, oven, washer/dryer, thermostat. Every dang thing. Mac Mini in the basement handling the processing.



     


     


    while thats a start, still waiting for  'SIRI'  to have voice control of some of these things.  Yes, Star Trek has ruined me.

  • Reply 17 of 41


    I'm gonna buy some of these. I was waiting for this kickstarter:


    http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/limemouse/lifx-the-light-bulb-reinvented


     


    but will take whichever product comes first...

  • Reply 18 of 41


    At $59/light, it will take 6 years in order to recoup the cost of a regular incandescent (assuming 4 hours of use per day, a $1.25 60W incandescent, and $0.10/kWh), and over 50 years for a $3.95, 14W CFL.  Obviously, greater usage reduces the time.  However, we should also remember that CFLs are not good in situations where the light will be turned on and off a lot throughout the day (such as in bathrooms), as that will reduce their lifespan considerably.  Furthermore, CFLs don't do well on dimmer switches, which most (seemingly all, in California, at least) new houses have installed.  Finally, they have mercury in them, which isn't easy to dispose of safely and is bad for the environment.  LEDs don't have these problems, so that's an extra point in their favor against the CFLs.


     


    Honestly, though, at that high price, it's nowhere near worth replacing all the lights in your house with these Hue lights.  Maybe one or two lights that see lots of regular usage, but even then, I would be leery.  In the next couple years, we will see the price for these things go way, way down.

  • Reply 19 of 41
    Since these have a central control unit I doubt they can turn on when you enter the room. Those on the kickstarter project above can. But these have shipped. Hmm...
  • Reply 20 of 41
    airnerdairnerd Posts: 693member


    I'll avoid being a first adopter and let people work out the bugs.  In 6 months these will be much cheaper and work better I'm sure. 

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