Last week I was able to present the new Friends of Hue Outdoor Switch from Senic for the first time. Even before the official delivery to the first customers, the Berlin manufacturer provided me with a test sample – and of course I take this opportunity to give you the first impressions.
I have written several times in recent weeks about the switches and modules of the Asian manufacturer Sunricher. They can be configured via the Hue app like all other Friends of Hue switches, although they are actually not. They also offer the technically much more exciting solutions: Compared to the classic Friends of Hue models, there is a much quieter switch with battery and recently also a in-wall module.
The Friends of Hue switches have been on the market for almost two years and in principle there are still two problems: There are still manufacturers and switch series that do not offer a suitable Friends of Hue switch. In addition, there is a loud clicking sound every time a button is pressed, which provides the necessary energy for the wireless signal.
A few days ago I was able to give you the first information, now it is official. Senic, a small Berlin start-up, is now also offering a Friends of Hue counter for outdoor use. It is the first of its kind. The “Friends of Hue Outdoor Switch” has the same technology as the already known Friends of Hue switches.
In August I already introduced the not quite official Friends of Hue switch to you, which does not rely on kinetic energy, but is powered by a button cell. The whole thing is not licensed by Signify, but works in conjunction with the Hue Bridge like any other Friends of Hue switch.
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The Friends of Hue switches have been on the market for almost two years now. Philips Hue and EnOcean supply the technology, and various manufacturers supply the matching plastic parts to ensure that the Friends of Hue switches match the respective switch ranges. Among others, Gira, Busch-Jaeger and Jung are among the manufacturers involved.
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In the first half of the year I have already reported on the Friends of Hue module, which the Asian manufacturer Sunricher has produced. It has exactly the same dimensions as the official EnOcean module used in the Friends of Hue switches. EnOcean is known to use energy harvesting technology to power its module.
Some weeks ago I was able to inform you about an interesting project of the Chinese manufacturer Sunricher. They have created a Hue-compatible switch, which has exactly the same dimensions as the known modules from the Friends of Hue switches. The major difference: By using an integrated button cell, the kinetic system for energy generation could be omitted, making the switch much quieter.
I suspected it a few months ago, but now I can confirm: The Hue Tap switch is out of production and off the market. It has already disappeared from the German Philips Hue website, on promo pictures for accessories it is eliminated too. Upon request, Signify informed me that the Hue Tap is now a discontinued model.
At CES, Signify already introduced three new partners for the Friends of Hue program in January. While Voltus has already launched its switch and we from Insta are still waiting for news, we are now working on the third new partner. The switch manufacturer Jung wants to start with its Friends of Hue switches in August and will offer two different models, which of course only differ visually.