Philips today announced the newest addition to its Hue line of lights and accessories, debuting the new Philips Hue Motion Sensor. The Hue Motion Sensor is designed to allow Philips Hue users to control their lights automatically as they move through their homes.

The Motion Sensor connects to a Hue Bridge and because it's wireless and powered via battery, it can be placed anywhere in the home - a bookshelf, a side table, a wall, a ceiling, etc. Once in position, the motion detection feature can be adjusted to the ideal position and it will perform set actions like turning the lights on or off whenever activated.

huemotionsensorwall

"The Philips Hue motion sensor not only provides hands-free control but also helps deliver peace of mind. You can be guided safely throughout your home at night with lighting," said Sridhar Kumaraswamy, Business Leader, Home Systems, Philips Lighting. "Plus, you no longer have to remind the kids to turn off the lights when leaving a room. The reliable detection the motion sensor provides when you exit supports this and also helps you be more energy efficient."

The Hue Motion sensor is highly customizable and supports personalized settings ranging from a soft, subdued light at night to set scenes during the day. It also has a built-in daylight sensor so it can turn lights on and off based on the time of day, and it has an instantaneous reaction time, adjusting lights within .5 seconds of being activated. Up to 12 Motion Sensors can be connected to a single bridge for a fully automated home lighting experience.

huemotionsensorapp
Along with the Motion Sensor, Philips is introducing updated Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 bulbs that feature richer greens and blues, a feature Hue owners have long desired. The new bulbs offer bolder, brighter colors than existing bulbs. Two new Philips Hue White Ambiance bulb extensions are also available, including BR-30 and GU-10 variants.

Philips' new Motion Sensor is priced at $39.95 and will be available from the Philips Hue website, Amazon.com, and Best Buy starting in October of 2016. The new Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 bulbs and the new BR-30 and GU-10 bulb variants will also be available in October.

Top Rated Comments

mdelvecchio Avatar
123 months ago
Another advertisement disguised as an article. Great job, Macrumors.
what utter nonsense. i have the Hue system, and i enjoyed seeing articles about updates to it since it's how i find out about updates.

you could make the same silly complaint about any product MR posts about, including apple gear. just because its not relevant *to you* doesnt mean its not relevant to *anyone else*. you are not everyone.

but you're not alone -- lack of empathy is a problem for many techies.
[doublepost=1472476498][/doublepost]
I wouldn't recommend these unless they first fix their app and bridge. The problem is that setting routines and on and off times doesn't pay enough attention to the time of day and the last state of the bulbs, or what they ought to turn on to. For example, I set a bedtime routine through their app. This is supposed to fade the lights through warm light to eventual darkness (off). Last night, before it kicked in, I was watching a movie and had the lights dark blue, almost off (~5% brightness). When the bedtime routine kicked in, the lights suddenly went to what I guess was 75% brightness at a slightly golden white color. This was jarring. On top of that, the lights never fade in this routine to dark orange or red, instead staying at a slightly warm white. The bulbs can't go very dark at this color, so right at your scheduled bedtime, they just go dark. App needs work before we add more gadgets to it.
hopefully you've used the app to contact them and submit the issue.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zen Avatar
123 months ago
Another advertisement disguised as an article. Great job, Macrumors.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
myname70 Avatar
123 months ago
And nothing mentioned about HomeKit ? Is the sensor HomeKite enabled or not
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LastLine Avatar
123 months ago
And nothing mentioned about HomeKit ? Is the sensor HomeKite enabled or not
The Hue hub is HomeKit enabled so logic would say this should be too as it connects to said hub.

Whether the hue app lets you do anything more interesting with it I'm sure third party apps will be able to.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
toph2toast Avatar
123 months ago
These are cool and all, but please fix your darn app.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
japanime Avatar
123 months ago
I can't wait to see the updated lights. I love my current Hue setup, but the pale greens do leave much to be desired.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says These 7 U.S. States Plan to Offer iPhone Driver's Licenses

Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

New MacBook Pros Could Now Arrive in March

Sunday February 8, 2026 6:02 am PST by
New MacBook Pro models with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips could arrive as soon as Monday, March 2, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that the release of new MacBook Pro models is tied to the release of macOS Tahoe 26.3. The launch is said to be slated for as early as the week of March 2. He added that the M4 Pro and M4 Max models on sale today...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...