I really wouldn’t have expected this a little over a week ago. After it looked really bad for weeks around the availability of the Philips Hue wall switch module, the tide has suddenly turned. Since the weekend, the popular new release, which could only be ordered on a few days since March, is consistently available for order in the German online store of Philips Hue.
So far, Philips Hue has not come up with a smart plug for outdoor use. Unfortunately, nothing seems to be planned in this direction, although I’m happy to be surprised. Until then, however, Hue fans can turn to a new product from Ledvance. The Compact Outdoor Plug is also available with ZigBee technology and can therefore be easily coupled with the Hue Bridge.
In a few weeks Philips Hue will release a completely new app for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. I’ve already given you some general info and a first look at the improved entertainment areas, but today we want to take a look at the automations. In any case, this is the new name of the previous routines.
There’s one number we’ve gotten used to over the past few years: 806 lumens. That’s how bright classic E27 bulbs from Philips Hue are. With the new 1,600 lumen bright Hue White, this value was significantly exceeded for the first time, but this lamp can not colors or different shades of white and is also much larger to ensure cooling.
As I could tell you a little more than a week ago, Signify is currently working on Philips Hue 4.0 – a new app with a revised design and many new features. In addition to a new tile view, there will also be a quick option to switch between multiple bridges.
A dimmable plug for Philips Hue? Something like that has actually existed before, even from Signify itself. At least somehow, because you can easily pair the Philips LivingWhites Plug with the Hue Bridge and then use it with the Hue app without any restrictions. However, you can only get the not really stylish plugs on the second-hand market, where prices of over 50 euros are regularly called up.
It could have been so beautiful: The Philips Hue Wall Switch Module is a real problem solver. It turns a classic light switch, the biggest enemy of the Hue light bulbs so far, into a smart light switch, which then no longer controls the power supply but sends commands to the Hue Bridge.
A few months ago, I was able to give you the first details about the Violet SmartSwitch. In the meantime, the project has progressed further and on the website of the British manufacturer, pre-orders for an EU version (round switch boxes) of the Violet SmartSwitch can already be placed. Unfortunately, the whole thing is not quite cheap, but in return you get a rather unique control option.
The current Philips Hue app was released almost exactly five years ago. So it feels like an eternity ago, especially when you consider the rapid development around the topic smart home. But today I have good news for you: Signify is working on a completely revised version of the Philips Hue app.
This week, numerous documents from Philips Hue were published by the FCC. I could already reveal to you that they are working on new E27 light bulbs with filament technology. The documents mention “Tone Filament” and “HWA” several times – and anyone who knows a bit about Philips Hue knows what this abbreviation means: Hue White Ambiance.
Fabian