If you opened the Software Update section in the Hue app this week, you may have wondered about the large amount of updates available. Signify has not yet commented on the details of the new firmware in the release notes, but I can provide you with more information. Philips Hue is laying the foundation for dynamic scenes with the current firmware update for virtually all light bulbs and sockets.
A few weeks ago, my colleague Frederick installed the round Philips Hue Aurelle in his living room; the large rectangular model of the LED panel has been hanging in my kitchen since its introduction. There is no question that the Aurelle, which is bright up to 4,200 lumens, is a real perennial favourite.
Signify has now leaked the next Gradient product itself. The three new videos show the Philips Hue Play Gradient Light Tube. First HomeKitNews reported about the new light, we have more details for you. Update: Philips has taken the videos offline again.
After we could already give you more informations about the Philips Hue Gradient Lightrip Ambiance, now follow a few details about the upcoming floor and table lamp Philips Hue Gradient Signe.
We still have to wait about a month, then Philips Hue will officially announce the Gradient Lightstrip Ambiance. Until now, not much more was known than a single image, but today I can give you the first technical details. For example, the light strip, which is equipped with IP20 protection, will be slightly brighter than the normal Lightstrip Plus, which we already known for years.
Philips Hue has released app version 4.2 for iOS and Android. And as of now, the timers are back. They are well hidden: You can find them in the “Automations” section and have to scroll down quite a bit – the timers have made it into the app as the penultimate function.
I could tell you stories now that would make you lose your faith. But now I'm not quite sure how serious Philips Hue is about keeping its new products secret. After all, they have just put some of the new products online in their own American shop. To be more precise, it's about the new generation of lamps that are supposed to offer a brightness of up to 1,100 lumens, which is almost 40 per cent brighter than the previous Hue lamps with a brightness of 806 lumens.
In the course of the week, I was able to introduce you to an exciting new release that Philips Hue actually wanted to present in September: The new Gradient Lightstrip Ambiance, a multi-coloured upgrade for the well-known Lightstrip. But that will not be all, because another Gradient product is now announced.
A normal Philips Hue lamp achieves 806 lumens. We have become used to this in recent years. We already know that this will soon change, because a month ago I was able to reveal new Hue bulbs that also manage up to 1,100 and 1,600 lumens. But that's not the only change we can look forward to.
When I asked you at the beginning of 2020 what a new light strip should be able to do, over 40 percent of you answered that it should be able to display several colours at the same time. In the meantime, the Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip is on the market, but it is specially designed to be mounted behind a TV.
Fabian
Frederick