Mike Wuerthele
Sylvania has launched pre-orders for its Smart+ A19 Full Color Light Bulb, and is adding more HomeKit bulbs, and accessories in the near future.
The HomeKit-enabled Sylvania Smart+ A19 Full Color Light Bulb can be controlled individually or in groups as part of scenes. Features include turning it on and off, dimming it, adjusting it from a cool white for concentrating to a warm white, and changing it to one of millions of colors.
Control outside the home still requires an Apple TV or iPad. No bridge is required, like needed for Philips Hue and Lutron systems.
While no details were provided, the Sylvania Smart+ line will expand with A19 Soft White Light Bulb, Indoor Full Color Flex Strip, and Plug soon. The product line was announced in December 2016, and was originally expected in early 2017.
HomeKit-enabled Sylvania Smart+ lighting products will be available later this year. The A19 Full Color Light Bulb is available for pre-order for $44.99.
Introduced in 2014, HomeKit allows users to connect to a variety of compatible so-called "internet of things" devices through the iOS Home app in conjunction with each other, as opposed to a series of disconnected interfaces. The addition of Siri control to HomeKit allows for complicated sequences of events to be induced from an iOS device with one voice command.
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21 Comments
So it doesn't use a hub and it's $5 cheaper than the comparable Hue product. I've already got a Hue setup so unless there more to this than meets the press release, I'm good.
It could be a good way to go for someone who hasn't yet invested in home automation lighting. I hope there's a kit that includes a remote control. Controlling the lights from just an iPhone would get old after awhile. Walking into a room without your phone, you'd want to be able to switch on a light conveniently.
It looks like they're supposed to have s switch as well. Since Hue doesn't have one and this switch will likely be HomeKit compatible also, I'd be up for a couple.
You can still use your switches if you walk into a room without your iDevice. If the lights are off but the switch is on, turning the switch off and then back on lights up the hue bulbs. Obviously if you use the switch to turn off the bulbs, then you cannot turn them back on remotely. Presumably, having "hey siri" on the HomePod will allow voice control as long as multiple voices are allowed for "hey siri". Of course these days you can use your iPhone, watch, iPad, iTV so the list of control devices is growing.
A Bridge is required. It's called an Apple TV or an iPad.
I can’t find out what the equivalent watts are for this at white settings. Anyone see it?