Yesterday, I made my way to Frankfurt. It’s not necessarily the trade fair that’s at the top of my list, as I prefer devices that are easy to install with a plug. However, I had some interesting appointments at the fair and also stopped by Signify, the manufacturer of Philips Hue.
It’s time for updates in the Hue world again. Several updates are currently pending, as Philips Hue is releasing a new software version for the Hue Bridge and Hue Bridge Pro, among other things. The official Philips Hue app has also received another update. However, there don’t seem to be many new features in any of the three cases.
Over the past few days, I’ve received a noticeable number of emails and comments on one topic: Philips Hue devices are no longer accessible in Apple Home. Many users are also unable to establish a new connection to the Hue Bridge Pro via Matter. Unfortunately, I have not yet received an official statement from Philips Hue on this issue.
A few days ago, I was made aware of an interesting issue: the German Philips Hue support website no longer offers email contact options. I quickly realized that this was indeed the case. The German website now only offers written contact options via Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. All of these services require registration.
Philips Hue continues to tweak its software. Version 5.60 of the Hue app could be released in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store as early as this week. Before that happens, however, there will first be a firmware update for the two Philips Hue control centres. Since 29 January, Philips Hue has been distributing software version 2071209010 for the Hue Bridge Pro (previously 2071193000) and software version 1975134020 for the Hue Bridge (previously 1975104000).
This week, you were particularly impressed by the Philips Hue OmniGlow Lightstrip. In addition to my brief impression of my installation of the premium light strip, there was more to discover, such as the first update for the Philips Hue app in several weeks. It went straight from version 5.57 to version 5.59.
As expected, things have quietened down somewhat at Philips Hue over the New Year period in terms of the regularity of software updates. For example, there have been no updates for the official Hue app since mid-December. Now, a new software version for the Hue Bridge and Hue Bridge Pro has been rolling out for several days.
I’m sure I’ve mentioned this topic before. At that time, it wasn’t possible to link more than one bridge to a home. This has already caused problems with multiple Hue Secure cameras that were supposed to control different areas of the house. Thanks to multi-bridge support and the Hue Bridge Pro, this is no longer a problem – however, Philips Hue has forgotten that there are users with more than one home.
To kick off the new year, Philips Hue took advantage of the world’s largest consumer electronics trade show to showcase some new products. As in previous years, the focus was on software features. After bringing the Hue Sync TV app to LG televisions last year, there is now a new feature for the Hue Bridge Pro.
I already shared the first details about Hue SpatialAware with you in a detailed article on Wednesday. After seeing the feature for myself, it quickly became clear to me that you have to see it for yourself to appreciate how smart it really is. So my team and I quickly got to work and used the extremely stylish Philips Hue demo room at the Aria Hotel to record a short video about Hue SpatialAware for you.
Fabian