Philips teases concept for Hue smart bulb control widget in iOS 8

The image posted to the Philips Hue Dev account on Twitter is only a concept prototype, but it does signal that the company is looking to support the new widget feature coming in Apple's iOS 8 mobile operating system update. The concept shows a dedicated Hue widget with an "All off" button, as well as three light "scenes" that can be quickly selected.

Integrating Hue controls into Notification Center would allow those who own the advanced lighting system to quickly turn the lights on or off, or change their colors, without needing to launch a dedicated app or even unlock the phone.

User customization is a major part of the iOS 8 update, with completely configurable widgets in Notification Center. As part of its iOS 8 unveiling this week, Apple showed off widgets with ESPN sports scores and current eBay auctions.

iOS 8 widgets will come bundled in downloadable applications on the App Store. Compatible apps can then be enabled or disabled through the Notification Center, and users can drag their installed widgets into any order of their choosing.

By default, Notification Center in the first iOS 8 beta comes with the Today Summary, Traffic Conditions, Calendar, Reminders, Stocks, and Tomorrow Summary. All of them can be disabled, while Calendar, Reminders and Stocks can be reordered.

That Philips is planning to support a key new feature of iOS 8 should not come as a surprise, as the company has worked closely with Apple in the past and even launched its lineup of Hue bulbs exclusively at Apple's retail stores.