The standard Hue bulbs are also getting an upgrade. The new models can dim to as low as 0.2 percent (compared to 2 percent for the Essential bulbs), and Philips claims they can produce the full range of visible color temperatures (from 1,000 to 20,000 K, compared to the 2,200 to 6,500 K range of the Essential bulbs).
The next-most-important addition to the ecosystem is probably the new Hue Bridge Pro, the Hue ecosystem’s first new bridge accessory in a decade. In addition to being faster, the new $99 bridge supports “150+ lights” and “50+ accessories,” at least triple the number supported by the previous Bridge (which is still sticking around at $66 as a lower-cost accessory for smaller setups). Users with multiple Hue bridges will eventually be able to replace them all with a single Bridge Pro, but Hueblog reports that this capability won’t be available until “later this year.”
Other new Hue products include indoor and outdoor strip lights, including cheaper models under the new Essential brand umbrella; Festavia-branded outdoor string lights; and a $170 Hue Secure video doorbell. The new hub and most of the new bulbs are being launched in North America starting today, but the doorbell won’t launch until October, and many of the strip and string lights will be released in November or December. Signify’s press release has specific pricing and availability information for all the accessories.
