AppleInsider Staff
GE built on its smart home offerings at CES 2019, announcing a range of new C by GE products including HomeKit-enabled smart wall switches, white and full color LED bulbs, and a smart wall plug.
Announced earlier this month as "Made-for-Google" devices, the expansions to C by GE's quickly growing product line are also confirmed to support Apple's HomeKit platform through a $40 hub dubbed C-Reach.
With the Smart Switch, an in-wall light switch replacement, users are able to control and dim incandescent, halogen, CFL or LED bulbs on a connected circuit. The switches provide multi-way connections without a travel wire, simplifying installation and set-up. Unique to GE's lineup is a bypass feature — restricted to Google Home and Alexa users — that enables control of C by GE bulbs even when the switch is off.
The Smart Switch family is offered in a range of models, including a simple on/off unit for $35, a version with built-in dimmer for $50 and a top-end model with motion ambient light sensing for $75.
C by GE is also bringing a family of bulbs to market. Similar to other manufacturers, like Philips' Hue lineup, GE will sell a 60-watt equivalent A19 bulb, a BR30 for recessed cans and a light strip. A white connected bulb will run $13, while a tunable white version is slated to sell for $20. A more advanced bulb capable of emitting millions of colors is set to sell for $30.
Finally, a smart wall plug with single outlet and physical power button is scheduled to sell for $25.
Each of the new C by GE products will be HomeKit-enabled when they launch this spring. A C-Reach hub is required to operate via the Home app and Siri.
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13 Comments
Too bad about needing a bridge, but it’s nice to see more competition. Hue is stupid expensive.
I enjoy talking to my lights every day (via HomePod) to turn them on or off. I don't bother with their multicolour capabilities. The Hue hub is an annoyance but I grudgingly accept it. I will certainly consider this GE version because of the price. The worst part is that most light fixtures in any house are connected to a wired switch which messes up the controlability. I'll probably be expired before anyone figures out how to fix that, even though any fifth grader coulod figure that out.
That is one ugly switch. How hard can it be to solve the switch problem? Is it regulation? Is it the perceived difficulty of rewiring switches? It seems easy in my mind at least but I'm no electrician. When are these Friends of Hue switches that were meant to be out in 2018 being released if not at CES?
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