Philips Hue’s New Bridge Could Turn Your Lights Into Motion Sensors

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

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

The page, which was first spotted by HueBlog, outlined all nan caller products but revealed nary specs aliases prices. Signify, Hue’s genitor company, is hosting a property arena successful Berlin adjacent month, up of nan IFA tech waste and acquisition show, wherever we expect afloat details. 

The standout news is nan bridge’s caller motion-sensing capability. Details are scarce, but nan explanation mentions “built-in MotionAware technology.” Wi-Fi mobility sensing exertion has been astir for years — Hue’s sister institution Wiz uses it successful its Wi-Fi bulbs — but Hue lights activity complete Zigbee, not Wi-Fi. In January, a institution called Ivani debuted its Sensify wireless sensing technology, which tin move mains-powered Zigbee devices (like ray bulbs) into mobility sensors pinch a firmware update. 

At nan time, Ivani co-founder Justin McKinney told The Verge nan institution was moving pinch “large family names poised to deploy nan exertion very soon.” It’s imaginable 1 of those companies is Hue, and that Sensify’s tech is powering nan upgrade that could fto your existing Hue bulbs and accessories enactment arsenic mobility sensors. This would make them tin of automatically adjusting your lights arsenic you move done nan location without nan request for standalone mobility sensors.

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

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

Another confirmed rumor: Hue lights will soon beryllium controlled by Sonos’ sound assistant. According to nan page, you’ll beryllium capable to show Sonos speakers to move Hue lights connected and off, dim aliases brighten, alteration their colors, aliases prime a ray scene. While Sonos Voice Control is much constricted than Alexa aliases Siri, each commands are processed locally.

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

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

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