Philips Hue Line Gains New Gradient Lightstrip, Revamped Hue Iris and More

Signify today announced a series of new products that are coming to the HomeKit-compatible Philips Hue line of lights, including a new lightstrip, an updated version of the Hue Iris, new low-cost white bulbs, and more, as outlined below.

The Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip is designed to integrate with the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box that connects Hue lights to TVs, consoles, and other devices to match lighting to the content being displayed on the TV set. The Gradient Lightstrip is designed specifically with television sets in mind and it comes in three lengths to accommodate common TV sizes: 55 inch, 65 inch, and 75 inch.

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It sticks on the back of a TV set and is able to display color gradients, a first for a Philips Hue product. Prior lightstrips were always limited to a single color and did not support multi-color usage, but the LEDs in the Gradient Lightstrip are individually addressable.

For use with media, the Gradient Lightstrip needs either the Hue Play HDMI sync box or the Hue Sync PC or Mac app, which allow it to match the colors on the TV set for an immersive home theater experience. It features a 45 degree light projection and Signify says the light gradient is "perfectly blended." The Gradient Lightstrip can also work as an ambient lighting option without being synced to a TV through one of the above mentioned options, but it's not the primary function.

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The Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip will be available starting on October 16, 2020, but it can be pre-ordered today from the Hue website. The 55-inch version is priced at $199, the 65-inch version is priced at $219, and the 75-inch version is priced at $240.

In addition to the new Gradient Lightstrip, there's a newly revamped Hue Iris that's coming soon. Priced at $99.99, the Hue Iris is a table lamp that offers richer colors, lower dimming, and increased brightness compared to the prior version of the Iris.

The Iris offers up to 570 lumens of brightness when it is used as a white light lamp, and it has a fabric wrapped cord. It comes in limited edition colors that include gold, rose, copper, and silver. It can be paired with a Hue Bridge or used over Bluetooth, and it will be available for purchase on October 19, 2020.

hueiris
Alongside these two major product releases, Signify is updating the Philips Hue E12 Candelabra bulbs with Bluetooth, and introducing the Globe and Edison Filament bulbs in new larger form factors. The Hue Ensis pendant light is being released in a new black finish, and there's a new small form factor E14 Lustre bulb ideal for smaller lamps.

Signify in the future plans to bring the new gradient lighting technology to additional products in the Philips Hue line, and there's also an upcoming integration with August and Yale smart locks for doing things like turning on the lights right when the lock is activated.

For more information on today's announcements, make sure to check out the Philips Hue website.

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Top Rated Comments

Wildkraut Avatar
63 months ago
Somehow i never understood why shall I have colored lights behind a TV, like in the article pics.
When I watch a movie over our tv or projector, I prefer to be in a complete darkness, like in the cinema.

But yeah people are different. :)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dannys1 Avatar
63 months ago

I think the problem with Philips is that there are many alternatives that doesn't require a hub.
The hub is probably it's biggest strength. Once you get into the API and how it works you can do all kinds of very advanced stuff.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tobiastimpe Avatar
63 months ago
I don't the 30/40 € bridge is the problem considering the lights are pretty expensive :)
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mw360 Avatar
63 months ago
Christmas lights please, Hue. Come on, time is running out.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tann Avatar
63 months ago

I think the problem with Philips is that there are many alternatives that doesn't require a hub.
The hub is the best bit!

Bluetooth only are useless when out of range, wifi devices are ok when you have only a few, but if you kit out your house with various smart stuff, your wifi can get pretty congested pretty fast. Hubs like Phillips, Smart Things, Hubitat etc keep it nice and separate.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarlJ Avatar
63 months ago
Oh man, the Gradient Lightstrip has some potential. Price seems out of whack though, individually-addressable LED strips are not that expensive, fundamentally. And I’m not a huge fan of their Hue Play HDMI sync box - it means using their HDMI switch for everything and no longer being able to control the (nominally) TV inputs with your TV remote. And their sync box costs a lot too. For the combined price, you might as well get an HDFury Diva and the associated ambient LED lighting. Hmm... I guess it’s something to watch, once it’s released.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)