The negative reports started piling up back in September, and there are already around 30 comments under one of my articles on the subject – and more are being added all the time. It's about the link between Philips Hue and Amazon Alexa, which hasn't been working properly for months.
There is one thing that really bothers me about Philips Hue: I have not been able to manage with one Hue Bridge in my house for a long time. The first problems can occur with 50 or more connected lamps, the hard limit is 63 lamps. And with several rooms and the outdoor area, this limit is reached more quickly than you might think.
Today I would like to address you with a few words on my own behalf. As you have probably already realised, I come from Germany and originally started Hueblog as a German blog. For a few years now, there has also been an English-language version on Hueblog.com, which I hope you enjoy visiting just as much.
A few weeks ago, I took a closer look at the WiZ Portrait desk lamp on our german Apple blog. For 99.99 euros, you get a desk lamp that you can use not only to illuminate your workspace, but also as a ring light during video conferences. In addition to the direct Matter integration, there is another particularly exciting detail about the WiZ Portrait: the desk lamp is powered via a USB-C port.
I had mixed feelings when I tested the Hue Secure camera. The integration into an existing Hue installation and the Hue app is really well done. In contrast to other smart home cameras, however, some functions and extras are still missing. From 14 November, Philips Hue will at least expand its hardware selection somewhat.
If you have lost a power cable of a light strip or need new mounts for your Lightbars, Philips Hue now has the right spare parts on offer. After the announcement in September, the official spare parts can now be ordered in the Hue online shop. For example, you can get mounts for the Philips Hue Play Gradient Light Strip including new adhesive strips or a charging station for the Hue Go.
I actually didn't think it would be such a big deal: Philips Hue wants to make registration with an account for the in-house system mandatory. I have always used Philips Hue with an account, but many of you actually don't want to. In a small survey, more than 60 percent of the participating readers said they would prefer to use the Hue system without an account.
Late last year, Philips Hue introduced the Natural Light feature. A 24-hour scene that adjusts colour temperature throughout the day, always providing the optimal white light for your well-being: Cool, activating white tones in the morning and relaxing warm white in the evening. In the last few months, the smart scene has already received several updates, including the ability to switch between time periods faster or slower if desired.
I'm ready for the weekend and ready for my holiday. Starting Monday, I'm disappearing to Greece for a few days. But I will still keep at least half an eye on Philips Hue in the meantime, among other things the launch of the Hue Secure cameras is coming up. And I have already prepared a few articles for you for the coming week.
Voice control with Alexa has actually always been a pretty reliable story. Apart from the fact that you can only pair a bridge with the Alexa Skill, of course, but that is hopefully something that will take care of itself with the upcoming Matter update. However, it is not yet time and in the social networks and also here in the comments I have been reading more and more complaints around the topic of Alexa and Philips Hue for about a week.
Fabian