Philips future-proofs smart lights with Apple HomeKit, Siri and new hub

Unfortunately, you can’t yet set up integration with other HomeKit enabled devices; Hue only supports the controlling-with-Siri part of HomeKit.

This new marriage between Apple and Philips will give users the power to simultaneously control lighting in houses with simple commands to Siri.

Philips’ new bridge will also remain compatible will all current Philips Hue Products. So with only one command you can unlock the front door, turn the lights on and the heating up, truly transforming how you experience and interact with your home.

Let’s say, for example, a Hue Bridge and HomeKit user is on their way home from work, they can now alert Siri to enter the Arrive Home mode, and the Philips Hue lights will turn on, according to the press release. When you need to relax before bed, there’s a scene that mimics a sunset, warming the lights in your room or entire home and dimming them significantly.

Seamless interoperability Philips Hue personal wireless lighting is a seamless ecosystem covering bulbs, lamps and controls, so that you can operate all of your lights at home using any smart device including iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Apple Watch, or when away from home through MyHue portal. If you aren’t excited about upgrading, that’s OK, because Philips said it’ll continue to support the original model. Since Hue likewise offers shading tunable globules, you can order Siri to change the shading or splendor also, either on a for each knob premise or through adaptable subjects.

Why this matters: Hue is one of the most recognizable smart home products, and has always been a partner to Apple with its bulbs selling through the Apple Store. Philips Hue is leading the way by delivering the best possible lighting experience for every space in your home with brighter A19 bulbs at 806 lumens. Other than voice controls with Siri, everything that you can do with Hue on an iPhone will be the same on an Android phone. The old box can’t support HomeKit due to hardware limitations.

HomeKit support isn’t the only noteworthy change in the new Hue Bridge.

The new Philips Hue Bridge is available in Europe and North America from October 6, 2015 and will be priced at $60.

Starting this week, consumers can pick up a new Philips Hue Bridge 2.0 that, in addition to being a bit more square, adds connectivity with Apple’s HomeKit protocols.