Philips Hue has announced a new wireless dimmer switch module that lets Hue bridge owners directly control the smart lighting from their standard wall switches.
The new Philips Hue wall switch module is the ideal addition to any Philips Hue set up. Installed behind existing light switches, it allows users to turn their existing switch into a smart switch and ensures their smart lighting is always reachable. Whether it is via the app or via voice control: no more getting up from the couch to turn on the switches that a family member or house guest might have turned off.
The company has also announced a new version of its Wireless Dimmer Switch featuring a more curvaceous design. Instead of having four buttons like the switch module it replaces, the new model has only three buttons, with the middle two dimmer buttons combined into a single rocker button. The "on" button also now has a small tactile marking so that users can find the correct button in the dark.
Users can select light scenes in the Hue app and customize how the switch functions to personalize the ambience of their home. The module includes power on and off switches, dimmer controls, and a button that lets users cycle through their favorite scenes. Like the module it replaces, the new dimmer switch also includes a removable remote.
In addition, Philips Hue has launched a new outdoors lighting system: The Amarant is an ambient LED strip for use on blank walls in gardens or on balconies. It features a wall washing effect with a vibrant light that's intensified by the metal shield. The Amarant also integrates with existing Hue low-voltage outdoors products such as the Hue Lily, Hue Calla, or Hue Outdoor Lightstrip. Philips Hue is also updating its Appear outdoor wall light with a brushed stainless steel finish and easier installation.
There's no U.S. pricing yet for the Appear, but the new wall module will be available in the summer costing $40, the new dimmer switch will be available for $24.99 from February 23, and the Amarant costs $169.99 and will be available from March 2.
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Do I need a neutral wire? The Philips Hue Wall Switch Module is powered by a coin cell battery that is expected to last at least five years. Therefore, the module does not need its own power supply and consequently also no neutral wire. This also made it possible to reduce the size of the module.
So, additionally, to restarting your network from time to time, in case your lamps and switches are not responding, you have to find and change the batteries in your wall switches? There already are cables with electric power. Sure, it would make the device itself bigger and more expensive. But WT*? Don't get it.
I'd like to know how big with wall switch module is, because I don't know what it's like in other countries, but certainly in the UK there's not a lot of room in a light switch backbox once you've accounted for the switch and the wiring.
Defo designed for the Euro market - https://hueblog.com/2021/01/14/the-most-important-answers-about-the-new-philips-hue-wall-switch-module/
Do I need a neutral wire? The Philips Hue Wall Switch Module is powered by a coin cell battery that is expected to last at least five years. Therefore, the module does not need its own power supply and consequently also no neutral wire. This also made it possible to reduce the size of the module.
So, additionally, to restarting your network from time to time, in case your lamps and switches are not responding, you have to find and change the batteries in your wall switches? There already are cables with electric power. Sure, it would make the device itself bigger and more expensive. But WT*? Don't get it.
I came here to say there's no way that's fitting behind any switches in my house. There's just room room between the switch and the excess of very stiff romex wire. It seems to be EU focused.
Do I need a neutral wire? The Philips Hue Wall Switch Module is powered by a coin cell battery that is expected to last at least five years. Therefore, the module does not need its own power supply and consequently also no neutral wire. This also made it possible to reduce the size of the module.
So, additionally, to restarting your network from time to time, in case your lamps and switches are not responding, you have to find and change the batteries in your wall switches? There already are cables with electric power. Sure, it would make the device itself bigger and more expensive. But WT*? Don't get it.
In the US at least, neutral wires at switches weren't required by most electrical codes until the 1980's so most houses built prior to that requirement, including my 1979 ranch, don't have neutrals at the switch. I'd love wired smart switches, but I'm not rewiring my house to get it. In rooms where I need a physical switch AND want smart control, I use Zigbee battery powered switches like the smart bulb remote from Lutron and the Hue wall switch remote.
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