Earlier this week, Philips Hue released another update to its official app on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The update focuses primarily on the new, hardwired Hue wall switch modules that launched this summer. The hardwired wall switch modules for “dumb” lights can now also be used with MotionAware.
A quick look at the calendar shows us that Black Friday is actually still a long way off—it’s not until November 27. But most retailers and manufacturers start their sales much earlier. Philips Hue has some deals lined up again—and there are definitely a few standout offers. The Black Friday sale hasn’t officially started on the Hue website yet, but you can already access the deals via the direct link to the promotion page.
Things never get boring in the world of Philips Hue. Without much fanfare, the manufacturer has added two new ceiling lights to its website. After the Hue Devote launched last year in two round versions, the ceiling light will soon be available in a square shape as well. In the European Philips Hue online store, the Hue Devote will soon be available in sizes 29.5 x 29.5 centimeters and 39.5 x 39.5 centimeters.
Just yesterday, I reported on the new kitchen lighting that Philips Hue is expected to unveil in January. The Linear Gradient Lightbar is an old favorite—after all, Nobilia has been installing it exclusively in kitchens for well over a year. An upgrade is already available. Instead of the “externally” mounted lightbar, Nobilia—in collaboration with Philips Hue—is now offering a Hue Linear Cabinet Light.
I’d actually already had the new Philips Hue kitchen lighting on my list for September, but that didn’t pan out. The next launch window opens in January; Philips Hue typically unveils some new products at CES in Las Vegas. For me, kitchen lighting is now at the very top of my list, because last week new product pages briefly went live on the Philips Hue website.
A new Philips Hue product in November? While this may sound unusual at first, it’s easily explained. The Philips Hue Dual Slim Downlight, now available in two different sizes, was actually announced back in September—though only as a side note in a press release for the North American market. The product wasn’t shown at all at the major Hue event in Berlin, so it had actually flown a bit under the radar until now.
Philips Hue and Sonos have been collaborating since last year. Initially, Philips Hue lights were integrated into Sonos Voice Control to enable control via the multi-room speakers’ local voice assistant. Unfortunately, this still only works in English and French; no other languages are on the horizon yet. In early September, Philips Hue announced the second phase of the collaboration.
In early September, Philips Hue introduced Custom AI Behaviors, a new feature designed to make many settings both simpler and more comprehensive. The feature was actually supposed to launch about four weeks ago, but after a slight delay, it’s finally here. The required update to version 6.4.0 of the Philips Hue app is already available in the Apple App Store, and the update should be coming soon to the Google Play Store.
Amazon has expanded the Echo ecosystem a bit further today with the introduction of the new Echo Time. It’s essentially an upgraded Echo Spot, with a display that now spans virtually the entire front panel. The Echo Time is available in three different colors—Graphite, Coral Pink, and White—for 214.99 euros.
Just the day before yesterday, I was able to announce that the Custom AI Behaviors—announced in early September—would launch with a slight delay. Instead of early October, they are now scheduled to launch next week. The corresponding firmware update for the Hue Bridge Pro is already being rolled out. Philips Hue is now making software version 6.3.2071556020 available for download.
Fabian