Feed: Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
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Title: Hue takes on cheaper rivals with the entry-level Essential smart bulb
lineup

Date: Thu, 04 Sep 2025 11:04:15 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/hue-...

Hue just did its biggest product launch ever as part of IFA 2025 and a key
product is the new entry-level Essential smart bulb lineup. Though still not
as cheap as some products you can find on Amazon, it's designed to take on
budget rivals like Govee and Aqara with bulbs starting under $20.

The new range includes A19 bulbs, GU10 spots and strip lights with and
without color options. Effectively, you're not losing a lot compared to the
regular color/white bulbs. They still run on the same platform and offer
Bluetooth out of the box along with extra features enabled when using a
bridge or Matter-over-Thread.

To highlight the differences, Hue released a feature comparison sheet. You
can't dim the Essential bulbs as much, they offer a reduced range of whites
(2200 to 6500K compared to 1000 to 20000K) and color quality is less
accurate. The latter is arguably the most important feature for folks who use
smart bulbs to sync with their TVs or require precise matching between bulbs.


Hue

You'll be able to buy the Hue Essential bulbs starting this month, with the
new A19 bulbs priced at $25 individually or $60 in a four-pack. The Essential
strip light arrives in December for $60 in a 5 meter length (16 feet) or $100
for 10 meters (33 feet). You can also grab the A19 bulb in a starter kit in
the US starting at $80 for the Essential E27 2 pieces and Hue Bridge V2, up
to $100 for the Essential E27 4 pieces and Hue Bridge V2.

Another primary piece of Hue's smart lighting puzzle is the Hue Bridge Pro.
It has a more serious black look compared to the white models of the past to
signify the extra power. That includes five times the processing performance
and 15 times the memory of the Hue Bridge V2 that came out 10 years ago.

Hue

Along with the extra power, the Huge Bridge Pro debuts a new feature called
Hue Motion Aware. That transforms Hue Bulbs (including 95 percent of existing
models) into motion sensors able to detect movement and trigger actions or
security alerts.

Hue says you can easily upgrade a current Hue Bridge "with just a few
clicks," and Signify will release support for combining multiple Bridges into
a single Bridge Pro by year's end. The Bridge pro arrives in North America in
September 2025 for $90.

Hue OmniGlow strip lightingJuanCruzDuranPhotographer for Hue

Hue also refreshed its strip lighting with several new products including the
flagship OmniGlow (starting at $140 for a 3 meter length and arriving in
November), the first Hue strip with no visible hotspots via CSP tech to
accent your decor with a seamless glow. It also introduced the Flux lineup
with indoor, outdoor, ultra-bright and neon options (in sizes up to 10m)
starting at $70 for 3 meters, for applications ranging from indoor accents to
outdoor facades. Also new are the Festavia string lights that can be used for
holiday decor or year round in a permanent model for rooflines, patios and
balconies. Those start at $160 for 7m lengths or $120 for 9 meters for the
permanent model with availability in September.

Signify also introduced a new A19 bulb that can replicate the entire spectrum
of daylight while offering 40 percent great efficiency compared to its
predecessor. Finally, the company announced a Sonos partnership that will
allow you to operates Philips Hue lights using voice controls, and eventually
"integrate light and sound in new intuitive ways."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/hue-...
entry-level-essential-smart-bulb-lineup-110415932.html?src=rss

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