For me, the migration from one of my two old Hue Bridges to the new Hue Bridge Pro went smoothly. But that’s probably only because I didn’t pair my somewhat outdated Philips TV with Ambilight with Philips Hue. Because it is precisely this function that causes problems with the Hue Bridge Pro.
The new Hue Bridge Pro was unveiled less than a week ago, and the first devices have been in use in your homes since the weekend. If you’re on the go with your iPhone and iPad and rely on iConnectHue to configure or control your Hue system, there’s now an important update.
I have a quick note for all readers in the US. The Hue Bridge Pro seems to have been particularly popular there, as the new control center for our favorite lighting system has been sold out since the weekend. After about four days, there is now good news again: the Hue Bridge Pro is available again in the official Philips Hue online store at a price of $98.99.
Some of you have already received the new Hue Bridge Pro, while others may still be considering purchasing it. After returning from Berlin, I took half an hour this morning to start transferring data from one of my old Hue Bridges to the new Hue Bridge Pro. I have summarized exactly how this worked in this short guide for you.
Unsurprisingly, the Hue Bridge Pro has piqued your interest. After all, many of us have been hoping for an improved bridge with higher capacity and more power for years. Following the many rumors and leaks of the past few weeks, the Philips Hue Bridge Pro is now officially available, and I would like to provide you with all the important answers.
Tomorrow we’re off to Berlin, where the big Hue presentation is scheduled for the evening. The next day, a number of new products are expected to be available in the Philips Hue online store. Shortly before the event, we can take another look at some of the new hardware in the form of new promotional videos.
I’ve been waiting for this new product for years and have repeatedly bombarded Hue inventor George Yianni with questions. The next time I meet him, I’ll definitely have to come up with some new questions, because the Hue Bridge Pro is finally coming to market. With support for 150 lights and 50 accessories, as well as significantly more power.
I have already reported on the performance data of the Hue Bridge Pro, which is expected in September. The significantly more powerful bridge should be able to work with 150 lights and 50 accessories. The previous Hue Bridge was officially designed for 50 lights and 12 accessories, but slightly exceeding these numbers was not a problem until now.
This wasn’t exactly Philips Hue’s week. Less than a month before the planned announcement, numerous new products have appeared on the Philips Hue website. Even without the in-house leak, the Hue Bridge Pro would probably have ended up online these days. On Reddit, a user asked on Saturday: “What am I supposed to do with this thing?”
The new Hue Bridge Pro has been leaked to the public, and the first technical data has already appeared. I have noticed numerous questions about PoE on social media and here in the comments. Power over Ethernet, or the power supply of a device via the network cable. Currently, it does not look as if the new Hue Bridge Pro will also offer Power over Ethernet, but I do not want to completely rule out the possibility of PoE at this stage.
Fabian