Philips Hue’s new bridge could turn your lights into motion sensors

Hue’s caller Bridge Pro could crook your lights into question sensors — and it’s black!

Smart lighting institution Philips Hue appears to beryllium launching a caller mentation of its bridge, the archetypal successful a decade. According to a product page concisely published connected Hue’s website and since removed, the Hue Bridge Pro volition beryllium faster, person much capacity, and tin “turn your astute lights into question sensors.” A Hue video doorbell, caller outdoor lighting, and a much energy-efficient A19 airy bulb are besides connected the way.

The page, which was archetypal spotted by HueBlog, outlined all the caller products but revealed nary specs oregon prices. Signify, Hue’s genitor company, is hosting a property lawsuit successful Berlin adjacent month, up of the IFA tech commercialized show, wherever we expect afloat details. 

The standout quality is the bridge’s caller motion-sensing capability. Details are scarce, but the statement mentions “built-in MotionAware technology.” Wi-Fi question sensing exertion has been astir for years — Hue’s sister institution Wiz uses it successful its Wi-Fi bulbs — but Hue lights enactment implicit Zigbee, not Wi-Fi. In January, a institution called Ivani debuted its Sensify wireless sensing technology, which tin crook mains-powered Zigbee devices (like airy bulbs) into question sensors with a firmware update. 

At the time, Ivani co-founder Justin McKinney told The Verge the institution was moving with “large household names poised to deploy the exertion precise soon.” It’s imaginable 1 of those companies is Hue, and that Sensify’s tech is powering the upgrade that could fto your existing Hue bulbs and accessories enactment arsenic question sensors. This would marque them susceptible of automatically adjusting your lights arsenic you determination done the location without the request for standalone question sensors.

The span volition besides person “advanced AI features,” apt tied to Hue’s caller AI lighting assistant. According to further reporting by HueBlog, the Bridge Pro volition diagnostic a faster processor, much RAM, the summation of Wi-Fi connectivity truthful you don’t person to plug it into your router, and enactment for up to 150 bulbs and 50 accessories — much than triple the existent bridge’s capability.

In summation to the bridge, Hue is preparing a caller wired video doorbell, first leaked successful March. A caller representation shows a plan reminiscent of the second-gen August doorbell. The Hue website noted it volition watercourse successful 2K, an upgrade from the 1080p connected Hue’s 2023 information cameras.

Another confirmed rumor: Hue lights volition soon beryllium controlled by Sonos’ dependable assistant. According to the page, you’ll beryllium capable to archer Sonos speakers to crook Hue lights connected and off, dim oregon brighten, alteration their colors, oregon prime a airy scene. While Sonos Voice Control is much constricted than Alexa oregon Siri, each commands are processed locally.

Of course, determination are caller lights coming, too. The leafage reveals a new, much energy-efficient E26/A19 60-watt astute bulb that uses 40 percent little vigor and dims arsenic debased arsenic 0.2. percent. It supports Hue’s ChromaSync tech for much precise colour matching erstwhile syncing crossed fixtures — a diagnostic besides coming to a caller “family of indoor and outdoor airy strips” with gradient lighting.

Two caller Festavia-branded outdoor lights are connected the way: a acceptable of imperishable outdoor lights designed to beryllium fixed to the extracurricular of your house, akin to those offered by Govee and Nanoleaf, and a acceptable of Globe String lights. The globe lights look peculiarly attractive, with each bulb featuring a “distinctive interior tube” that tin beryllium customized with airy gradients, colors, and peculiar effects. 

It’s an awesome lineup, but the upgraded span with motion-sensing exertion is the standout. Not lone should it fortify Hue’s lighting strategy and enactment much devices, it could destruct the request for dedicated question sensors altogether. I’ll beryllium successful Berlin adjacent period for IFA to spot the authoritative motorboat and get hands-on with these caller products.