First, a quick note for my international readers: I wrote this blog mainly for the German-language Hueblog.de. In my little Sunday blog, I’d like to tell you today about everything else I do besides my work. At the end of the day, it’s much more than just a few texts. Maybe you’ll find it interesting too.
Philips Hue is currently rolling out new software versions for its control centers once again. A firmware update to version 2071127010 is available for the new Hue Bridge Pro. The classic white Hue Bridge is receiving an update to version 1974063020. At least at a glance at the official release notes, there appear to be no differences between the two updates.
Friday was Halloween again. I don’t really have anything to do with it, but here in our neighborhood, you can’t avoid having lots of children ringing your doorbell. And then you can’t deny your own kids this fun. And when I’m home alone, I just make the most of it. First, I lured the children to my house with smart outdoor lighting from Philips Hue – including the new Hue Neon Outdoor Gradient Lightstrip, a Festavia string of lights, and a few Lily spots.
Last Friday, Signify, the manufacturer of Philips Hue, announced its financial results for the third quarter of 2025. The key figures can be found in the official press release: Revenue fell by 8.4 percent, and profits also declined significantly. This was mainly due to the conventional business and OEM solutions, where sales fell by over 20 percent.
With all the light strips that Philips Hue is launching this year, it’s easy to lose track. Not if you keep my little overview in mind, of course. After the Hue Flux and the Hue OmniGlow, the third candidate has now arrived for me to test. I’ve already had the opportunity to try out the Hue Flux Ultra Bright Lightstrip.
The Hue Flux Lightstrip is something like the new all-rounder from Philips Hue. My first impression was already very positive, and another version is set to be released soon in the form of the ultra-bright Hue Flux Lightstrip. However, I did ask myself one question during the presentation in September: What about extensions for the two new light strips?
Yesterday evening, I was browsing Reddit again and read a few posts in the Hue community. Among other things, I came across a post about poor quarterly figures, the new CEO, and the future of the consumer division. There, I read several comments like the following: We all buy Hue because we think it’s the most reliable product, but competitors like Govee have a much wider range of products.
Philips Hue has launched hundreds of new products in recent years. Light bulbs, ceiling lights, mood lights. Everything was available in multiple versions and in different series. Only the light strips fell by the wayside. Apart from the Play Gradient Lightstrips, which serve a very specific purpose, there have been only three light strips for indoor use in well over ten years.
I’ve already provided you with some details about the Hue OmniGlow Lightstrip and a comparison with the Hue Ambiance Gradient Lightstrip. However, Govee is repeatedly mentioned on social media and in comments as a major competitor to Philips Hue. And the Asian company has a direct competitor in the form of the Govee COB Strip Light Pro.
Philips Hue and voice control with Alexa have been around for what feels like forever. Okay, except for those times when the Hue skill isn’t working properly again. As far as I know, the problems from the summer have now been resolved. And who knows, maybe you’re in the market for a new speaker?
Fabian