Philips Hue
By MacRumors Staff
Philips Hue Reviews
Review: The Philips Hue Line Now Has Security Cameras, But There's No HomeKit Support
The Philips Hue line has long been focused on lighting products, but this year, Hue parent company Signify expanded the lineup with a set of Philips Hue Secure cameras and sensors designed for home security. I was able to test out the $200 Hue Secure Wired Camera to see how it measures up to some of the other smart camera options on the market. Hue's cameras can be used indoors or out, and...
Read Full Article (50 comments)
Review: The New Philips Hue Festavia Lights Offer More Versatility at a Higher Price
Philips Hue parent company Signify debuted a new version of the Hue Festavia string lights back in August, with plenty of availability now that the holidays are approaching. If you're up to date with Hue, you might know that the Festavia first came out last year, but the first version was available in limited quantities and was hard to get. After the holidays, the Festavia lights seemed to...
Review: The Philips Hue Play Sync Box Matches Your Hue Lights to What's Playing on Your Apple TV
Signify, the company behind the Philips Hue lights, in September announced a new Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box, which brings a capability that many Hue users have wanted for years now: the ability to sync Hue lights with content that's playing on the TV for an immersive home entertainment experience. There's already a Hue Sync app that lets Hue lights be tuned to Macs and PCs, but it's...
Review: Philips Hue Vintage-Style Filament Bulbs Are Perfect for Accent Lighting
Signify, the company behind the Philips Hue line of lights, recently introduced new filament bulbs, which are designed to look like vintage filament-style light bulbs. These bulbs, which come in three sizes, are the first bulbs in the Philips Hue lineup that are meant to be used with or without a lamp shade, making them perfect for decorative-style lamps that are meant to have naked bulbs. ...
Review: Weatherproof Hue Outdoor Motion Sensor Lets You Automate Your Indoor or Outdoor Lights
The Philips Hue line of lights have been controllable via an indoor motion sensor for some time, but Signify is today introducing an Outdoor Motion Sensor that's designed to control the range of outdoor Hue lights that are now available for purchase. The Outdoor Motion Sensor works just like the indoor Smart Motion Sensor, automating your lights and other HomeKit products to come on when...
Review: Philips Hue Play Adds Bright Bias Lighting to Your Entertainment Center
This year marks the sixth anniversary of the first products launched by Philips Hue in October 2012, with an original system that came with three Hue bulbs and one bridge and was sold as an Apple Store exclusive. Over time, Philips Hue added HomeKit support after Apple introduced the software framework in 2014, and numerous new bulbs, lamps, lightstrips, and more have come out of Philips Lighting ...
Review: The Philips Hue Outdoor Lightstrip With HomeKit Integration Lights Up Your Backyard
Earlier this year, Signify (formerly Philips) debuted a new range of outdoor Hue lighting products that are designed to bring the iPhone-controlled multi-colored lights that you're used to using inside to the outside. There are outdoor spotlights, wall lanterns, pathway lights, outdoor bulbs, and for accent lighting, the Hue White and Color Ambiance Outdoor Lightstrip. Measuring in at 80...
Philips Hue Articles
Philips Hue Bulbs Randomly Turning Up to Max Brightness, But a Fix Is Coming
Some owners of Philips Hue smart bulbs are reporting that their lights are randomly turning up to full brightness despite being set to dim. Philips Hue parent company Signify is reportedly aware of the issue, which is apparently related to the Matter interoperability standard, and says a fix is coming as soon as next week. "After extensive analysis, we have identified an interoperability ...
Philips Hue App Gains Support for Widgets
The Philips Hue app was today updated to version 5.14, adding support for widgets. Hue widgets can be added to the Home Screen, Lock Screen, or Today View, and can be used for controlling lights and other accessories. Widgets come in small, medium, and large sizes with the largest widget supporting eight actions or scenes. Widgets can be tailored to the entire Hue bridge or to lights that...
Philips Hue Sync TV App for Samsung TVs Gets Subscription Option and Music Mode
Philips Hue parent company Signify today announced an expanded relationship with Samsung, bringing the Philips Hue Sync TV app to additional countries, adding a Music Mode, and introducing a monthly subscription option. As of last year, Samsung TV owners have been able to download a Philips Hue Sync app that allows Samsung smart TVs to be linked to HomeKit-connected Hue bulbs and lighting...
Philips Hue Line Gains New Wall Light, Pendant Cord and More
Philips Hue parent company Signify is announcing several product updates today, with new products, colorways, and U.S. availability for some devices. A new wall light, the Philips Hue Dymera, offers two beams of light that shine both up and down. The light, which supports both white shades and color, can illuminate large surfaces and is able to be used both indoors and out. The Philips...
Philips Hue Secure Contact Sensors Gain HomeKit Support
Signify has released new Philips Hue Contact Sensor firmware that adds support for Apple HomeKit, reports Hueblog.com. Previously the indoor sensors could only be controlled through the Philips Hue app's Security Center. Now, after updating to the new firmware (1961076030), they appear in the Home app, where users can use the "open" and "closed" status of the sensors to create automations...
Philips Hue Bridge Matter Support Update Now Available
Matter support is now being rolled out to Philips Hue Bridge owners via a software update, according to the company, enabling the smart home system's interoperability with third-party lights. Matter is a connectivity standard that enables smart home accessories to work together seamlessly across multiple platforms, including Apple's HomeKit, Amazon's Alexa, Google's Home, and others. For...
Signify Launches New Philips Hue Lighting Options
Alongside new Philips Hue-branded Secure Cameras, Signify today announced the upcoming launch of new Hue lighting options. There's a new generation of Philips Hue Festavia string lights that can be used indoors or outdoors. There are three varieties, including 100 LEDs on an 8-meter cord, 250 LEDs on a 20-meter cord, and 500 LEDs on a 40-meter cord. There are three new lighting effects...
Philips Hue Line Gains Smart Cameras and Sensors
Signify today announced a major expansion to its Philips Hue line of lights with the addition of the new Philips Hue Secure cameras and sensors for home security. The Philips Hue Secure cameras include 1080p video monitoring along with night vision and motion trigger notifications. Like other Hue devices, they are designed to connect to a Hue bridge. Two-way talk is available, and the...
Philips Hue Lights to Get New Brightness Balancer Feature and Additional Automation Controls
Lighting company Signify has announced a new feature coming to the Philips Hue app that aims to give users better control over brightness in their home, as well as a Hue bridge automation update that brings more nuance to motion sensor triggers. Philips Hue lights will soon include a brightness balancer that lets users customize the relative brightness of individual lights in an...
Philips Hue Bridge Matter Support Update Appears to Have Been Delayed
Lighting company Signify has indicated that its software update bringing Matter support to the Philips Hue Bridge will not appear in the first quarter of 2023 as originally planned. When Matter was officially launched in November 2022, Philips Hue declared itself a supporter of the new smart home standard. At the time, Signify said a software update that would bring compatibility to its...
CES 2023: Philips Hue Line Gains New Outdoor Bulbs, Sync TV App Comes to Samsung TVs
Philips Hue parent company Signify today announced that it is introducing a paid Philips Hue Sync TV app for Samsung TVs. The partnership will allow those with Samsung smart TVs to link their Hue bulbs and lighting products to their televisions, so the bulbs can change colors based on what's on the screen. Syncing lights to media content typically requires the Hue Play HDMI Sync Box, priced...
Philips Hue Line Gains New 'Lightguide' Bulbs
The Philips Hue line of HomeKit-connected smart lights is today gaining three fresh bulb styles in a new "Lightguide" line that's meant to complement contemporary home decor. Available in three shapes that include large globe, ellipse, and triangular, the Lightguide bulbs have an inner tube that offers diffuse light in white or one of sixteen million colors, similar to other Philips Hue...
Philips Hue Line Gains New HomeKit-Compatible Lights and Accessories
Philips Hue manufacturer Signify today announced the launch of several new HomeKit-enabled lights and a new smart switch. Some of the new lights are available starting today, while others will launch later this summer. The new Philips Hue Go portable table lamp is battery powered and can be used either indoors or outdoors. The lamp, which is an upgrade to the existing Hue Go, features a...
Philips Hue Lights Getting Deep Spotify Integration
Starting today, the popular Philips Hue smart lights will feature a deep integration with the Spotify streaming music service, allowing Hue users to sync their lights to their Spotify playlists. The Philips Hue system will use an algorithm to analyze the metadata of each song in real time to make Hue lights flash, dim, brighten, and change colors while matching with the beat, mood, genre,...
Philips Hue Line Gains New Gradient-Enabled Lights, Updated Filament Bulbs and More
Philips Hue parent company Signify today announced several new Hue lighting options, the most exciting of which feature the gradient technology that was added to the Philips Hue Play Lightstrip last year. The new Philips Hue Play Gradient Light Tube is designed to sit above or below a TV, adding a blend of multiple lighting colors in a single lighting fixture. The Light Tube comes in either...
Philips Hue to Launch Brighter Bulbs and Expand Filament Range
The popular smart lighting brand Philips Hue is planning to launch considerably brighter bulbs and expand its filament range later this year, according to hueblog.com. Most Philips Hue lights can only reach a maximum brightness of 806 lumens, but the company is planning to launch new standard-size bulbs that offer up to 1,100 lumens of brightness. Philips Hue is also planning to offer a...
Philips Hue App Gets Design Overhaul
Signify today announced the launch of a redesigned version of the Philips Hue app for controlling Hue lighting setups. The fourth iteration of the Hue app was rebuilt from scratch to improve functionality and to enhance communication with Hue bulbs, lamps, and accessories. A reimagined Home tab offers access to each room in the home so you can get to your Hue lights by room with a tap....
Philips Hue Announces New Wall Switch Module, Dimmer Switch, and Outdoor Light Bar
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...
Philips Hue to Introduce Updated Dimmer Switch and 'Wave Linear' Outdoor Lighting
Philips Hue is set to release an updated dimmer switch and a brand new "Wave Linear" outdoor lighting system in early 2021, according to hueblog.com and smartlights.de. The popular Philips Hue dimmer switch, which has been around for some years and is often included in Philips Hue kits, is to see an update that brings a refreshed design. Instead of having four buttons like the current...
Philips Hue Adds Support for HomeKit Adaptive Lighting to Ambiance Lights
Philips Hue, known for its line of HomeKit-connected lights, has begun rolling out a new firmware update for the Hue Bridge that brings HomeKit Adaptive Lighting support to the Hue range of Ambiance lights (via iCulture). The rollout follows a month of beta testing with select Hue users. Adaptive Lighting is an iOS 14 feature that's designed to allow HomeKit-connected lights to adjust their...