While the consumer tech expo Innovation for All (IFA) hasn’t quite started, an early release on Amazon’s UK site has apparently unveiled a number of new Philips Hue products that look ripe for announcement in the coming days.
Notably, the leak revealed a new Philips Hue Doorbell, sporting two-way audio, package detection and plenty of integration with Philips Hue smart lights. There was also another model of the Philips Hue Bridge, which is needed to connect many Hue lighting products to Wi-Fi.
Philips Hue also seems to be releasing a new line of lighting called Essential, which appears to be affordable bulbs and lights. Perhaps they’ll avoid the need for a bridge connector, which many other smart lighting brands already have.
While it’s a little more technical, mentions of a new technology called MotionAware also caught my eye. It looks like it uses Philips Hue’s existing ZigBee support in smart bulbs to act as a type of motion detection, potentially turning bulbs on and off automatically without needing additional sensors or even offering security alerts. I can’t wait to try it out if that’s the case.
As both IFA and CEDIA — another expo for smart home tech — kick off this week, I’ll cover the juiciest new smart-home tech announcements and share what could be new staples for smart-home consumers who want a tech upgrade.
Philips Lighting/Signify did not immediately respond to a request for comment.