Philips Hue has quietly launched a new ceiling light in Europe in collaboration with Amazon. The Philips Hue Devote looks familiar to me in two ways: its name and its appearance. What’s the story behind this new ceiling light? The name is certainly not unfamiliar. There was a Hue Devote some time ago, but back then it was a pendant light with an E27 bulb.
If you’ve taken a close look at your Philips Hue app in the last few days, you may have noticed a new version in the software updates section. All Philips Hue bulbs, lights, and light strips have been updated to version 1.122.8/20250213. Unfortunately, the release notes from Philips Hue do not yet provide any specific details.
Just under two years ago, Philips Hue launched its first MR16 spotlights with GU5.3 sockets. The big difference is that, unlike “normal” Philips Hue bulbs, they do not operate at 230 volts. Instead, just like classic MR16 bulbs, they run on 12 volts. This means that a transformer is required. However, some transformers can cause problems with the power supply.
The new Philips Hue Smart Button has been available for around a month. It offers exactly the same functions as its predecessor, but has a significantly different shape. The new Philips Hue Smart Button is bigger – but does that make it better? I explored this question in detail and created a short video, which you can now watch on YouTube.
Philips Hue has released another update for its app, version 5.46.0 is now available for download. The update is already available in the Apple App Store, but it is not yet visible in the Google Play Store. I think it will follow there in the coming days. In any case, there isn’t much to report, as Philips Hue doesn’t have any new features to offer this time around.
For many years, we had to make do with the Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus. With 1,700 lumens, it was quite bright, but the spacing between the individual LEDs was really very large at six centimeters. It was not until the Philips Hue Ambiance Gradient Lightstrip that the spacing was significantly reduced, as can be seen in the following image.
I don’t want to get too involved in politics, but I would still like to report on the impact this has had on Philips Hue users. As announced last week, prices for Philips Hue products in the US have risen as a result of tariffs. As of 1 July, it is now clear by how much: almost all Hue products in the US have become around 10 percent more expensive.
When it comes to configuring the Hue system, especially the settings for switches and motion detectors, iConnectHue remains my first choice. The app from German developer Stefan Göhler received another comprehensive update this week. Version 5.10 includes proper integration of the new Hue Smart Button, which can now be configured with all the options offered by iConnectHue.
In recent years, Philips Hue has always unveiled new products at the International Radio Exhibition in Berlin—and this year seems to be no different. An invitation has just landed in my mailbox. Under the motto “Reimagine your home,” Philips Hue plans to introduce new products on the evening of September 3, which is Wednesday during IFA week.
Voice control of Philips Hue with Alexa has now become a whole lot easier, at least if you use more than one Hue Bridge in your household. After what felt like an eternity, Philips Hue has finally delivered a feature that many of us have been waiting for for years. “Now you can use Alexa to control multiple bridges in your home”, says the update description for version 5.45.1, which is now available for download in the Apple App Store and will soon be available in the Google Play Store.
Fabian