![]() ![]() “Our more advanced accessories-our energy-harvesting switches, for example, the new Lutron Aurora switch that just launched, and our motion sensors-those all need the more sophisticated rules engine that is in the Bridge. “If you want to control multiple rooms at the same time-for example, control your yard from your living room” Yianni said, “then you would need the mesh network capabilities of Zigbee to extend the signal.” He explained that the Bridge enables other functions, too. But since this new generation of bulbs can do both Bluetooth and Zigbee, there is an upgrade path that lets you transfer these new bulbs to a Hue Bridge at any later date. ![]() And the same goes for using a smart speaker to control it-the two devices should be in the same room. Since Bluetooth has much more limited range than Zigbee, Signify recommends that you be in the same room as the bulb to control it with your smartphone. New Philips Hue smart bulbs are powered by a new chip that has both Bluetooth and Zigbee radios on board, rendering the Hue Bridge optional for the first time. “For example, if you’re using Bluetooth to control the bulb through the app, you can still pair one of our wireless bridges to the bulb and control it via Zigbee. “We believe we’re the first mass-market consumer product to commercialize this technology,” Yianni said. This will enable users to upgrade to a Hue Bridge down the road should they decide to expand their smart lighting or integrate these bulbs with any other Hue products. Rather than stick a second radio in these new Hue products, Philips is using a new chip that operates both Bluetooth and Zigbee radios in parallel. Signify says it will release more Bluetooth products later this year and into 2020. The new Hue bulbs themselves, however, are no less expensive than the previous generation: Initially available only in A19 and BR (bulged-reflector) downlight form factors, dimmable White bulbs cost $14.99 each, white-tunable White Ambiance bulbs cost $24.99 each, and White and Color Ambiance bulbs are priced at $49.99 each. With the new generation of bulbs, you can start with just one bulb (and add up to nine more) and control them with the new Philips Hue Bluetooth app (available for Android and iOS) or with a Google Home or Amazon Echo smart speaker that’s in the same room as the bulb (in the Amazon Echo lineup, direct compatibility is currently limited to the 3 rd-generation Echo Dot, the 2 nd-generation Echo Show, and the 1 st and 2 nd generation Echo Plus).
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