First look: Misfit Bolt, an iOS-connected smart lightbulb

Like most other connected light bulbs, Misfit's low-cost Bolt can be used to set the mood in a room by altering its color individually or via a series of pre-set scenes. Unlike competitors, however, Bolt is designed to work with Misfit's existing lineup of sleep and activity trackers.

At this week's Consumer Electronics Show, Misfit representatives told AppleInsider that Bolt will communicate with the company's Shine wristband and Beddit sleep tracker so that it knows when users go to sleep and wake up. Using this data, Bolt can work as a sort of visual alarm, rousing buyers from their sleep by emulating a natural sunrise.

The demonstration unit that we saw on the show floor appeared to be a good-quality bulb, demonstrating excellent color fidelity and temperature. Bolt scores 90 on the color rendering index —  a measure of LED-based bulbs' color reproduction capabilities —  which is a significant achievement. Philips's competing Hue, for instance, scores just one point higher.

Unlike Hue, Bolt does not require a hub. It connects directly to users' mobile devices, and can be controlled by Misfit's existing iOS app (though a Bolt-specific version is on the way.)

Bolt is available for pre-order now, with shipping expected in mid-February. Buyers can pick up one Bolt for $49.99, or a three-pack for $129.99.