FabianThis wasn’t exactly Philips Hue’s week. Less than a month before the planned announcement, numerous new products have appeared on the Philips Hue website. Even without the in-house leak, the Hue Bridge Pro would probably have ended up online these days.
On Reddit, a user asked on Saturday: “What am I supposed to do with this thing?” He posted a picture of the new Hue Bridge Pro and commented: “I don’t know anything about smart lighting, but as a Lowes reviewer, I just received a Bridge Pro.”
Of course, I immediately tried to contact the user, who appears to be from the US, to get some more information. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one interested, as some people got straight to the point. “To all the hopeful bloggers who keep sending me direct messages: Thank you for your interest, but no, I will not be sending you the device.”
Setup in the Hue app is already possible
At least the unexpected owner of the Hue Bridge Pro shared a little more information. The Hue app was apparently unable to process the QR code on the back of the Hue Bridge Pro, but a manual search found the Hue Bridge Pro and it was then possible to connect to it – even via Wi-Fi.
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But how did he get hold of the device? According to his own statements, through a review program run by the American retail company Lowe’s. With almost 2,000 stores and an online shop, the company focuses mainly on household appliances and DIY products.
I can’t imagine that the early distribution of the test devices was coordinated with Philips Hue. At least for me, however, this is a clear indication that a nationwide launch is likely to take place in September. After all, something like this can’t be organized overnight, but requires a certain amount of lead time.
Hue Bridge Pro
$98.99 / €89.99
