Hue Flux light strips have been available in Europe for quite some time, and they are set to launch in North America in March. However, we’ve had to wait for the matching accessories, which Philips Hue unveiled back in September at the major IFA event in Berlin. Now the time has finally come: the connectors and extensions are available in the Philips Hue online store and should also be available in stores soon.
It has been several years since Philips Hue introduced its brighter 1,100-lumen bulbs. Compared to the “old” 806-lumen bulbs, this is an increase of 36 percent, which is particularly noticeable with white light. The new Philips Hue bulbs are now even equipped with Matter over Thread – and are also built into the Philips Hue Flourish.
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.
This story had already been announced, and now the improved version of the Hue Flourish table lamp is available in the official Philips Hue online store for a hefty €149.99 in Europe. You can easily recognize the new generation by the large Hue logo and the four symbols for Matter, Apple Home, Google Home, and Samsung Smartthings.
With version 5.60.1 of the Hue app, Philips Hue has introduced far more new features than officially announced. I have already reported on the multilingual Hue AI Assistant, the new features for the doorbell, and the customized room view. Now, Hueblog reader David has brought a small detail to my attention: a shopping cart icon has appeared on the Hue app’s home screen, to the right of the main switch for the entire home.
Philips Hue has released another firmware update. However, unlike most updates, this one is not for its Hue Bridge, but for its accessories. This is extremely rare, as the last software update for Philips Hue switches and motion sensors was in December 2024. Software versions 67.116.1, 2.85.1, and 2.85.5 are now being rolled out for all battery-powered accessory products.
At the beginning of the year, Philips Hue announced several software innovations at CES in Las Vegas. First and foremost, of course, is the new SpatialAware, which we will have to wait a few more weeks for. Philips Hue has already implemented other announcements, such as the availability of the Hue AI assistant in additional languages.
Philips Hue is expected to update some of its existing products in February. The Philips Hue Flourish table lamp will be equipped with a brighter and matte-compatible light source. The same applies to the Hue Turaco series, consisting of wall lamps, pedestal lamps, and path lamps. The upgrade here is particularly extensive, as only a Hue White bulb has been used up to now.
Fabian