New Philips Hue bulbs updated with Bluetooth connectivity

Philips has updated the Hue line with Bluetooth-equipped bulbs replacing the Zigbee-only ones, but they still need the Hue Bridge to work with HomeKit.

Starting today, new A19 and BR30 Hue bulbs are available that support Bluetooth alongside the traditional Zigbee. These new Bluetooth bulbs are designed for those who are just starting out their smart home or don't have access to the internet to control their bulbs.

They are set up using the new Hue Bluetooth app, and up to 10 can be controlled through the app. A hub is not required for connectivity through Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.

HomeKit is not supported in these bulbs over Bluetooth and still requires the Philipe Hue Bridge. At any time users can add the Philips Hue Bridge to unlock additional functionality such as support for Hue accessories and Apple HomeKit.

Hue with Bluetooth are now available in A19 and BR30 bulb types

Like the existing bulbs, white is just controllable and dimmable and stays a natural white, White Ambiance can be adjusted from a warm to cool hue of white, and White and Color Ambiance can adjust the shades of white as well as the full color spectrum spanning millions of different hues.

The new Hue with Bluetooth bulbs will replace the existing A19 traditional bulbs and BR30 downlight bulbs which are the two most common. They each come in White, White Ambiance, and White and Color Ambiance. for $14.99, $24.99, and $49.99 respectively.

Additional bulb styles will be adding Bluetooth in 2020. So far it has been a busy year for Signify and Hue. After releasing a pile of outdoor lights at CES 2019, they've launched an outdoor light strip, an outdoor motion sensor, and the indoor Aurora dimmer — all of which AppleInsider has reviewed recently.

The new BR30 and new A19 bulbs can now be ordered on Amazon, each in White, White Ambiance, or full White and Color Ambiance versions.

16 Comments

GeorgeBMac 11421 comments · 8 Years

About 5 years ago

"HomeKit is not supported in these bulbs over Bluetooth and still requires the Philipe Hue Bridge"

So, why would they do that?
I see only one reason: Spying.
.... Well, maybe a second possibility: Stupidity

The LifeX bulbs I bought for my grandson work great. So does the Insignia garage door opener. Both can use a hub if you want. But the hubs are all Apple devices (AppleTV, HomePod or a stay-at-home iPad). Especially for a door opener/lock I don't trust anybody but Apple to have access.

jeffzacharias 15 comments · 11 Years

About 5 years ago

I was excited when I saw this, but then I read the article. I have probably 50+ HomeKit devices and not one hub (other than Apple TV). I really don't want to have a bunch of hubs. Also, 99% of my HomeKit devices are WiFi. I find Bluetooth much more of a problem and I would not want my house full of bluetooth light bulbs. I would consider a few of these if they add HomeKit without needing their hub,

Andrew_OSU 574 comments · 6 Years

About 5 years ago

GeorgeBMac said:

"HomeKit is not supported in these bulbs over Bluetooth and still requires the Philipe Hue Bridge"

So, why would they do that?
I see only one reason: Spying.
.... Well, maybe a second possibility: Stupidity

The LifeX bulbs I bought for my grandson work great. So does the Insignia garage door opener. Both can use a hub if you want. But the hubs are all Apple devices (AppleTV, HomePod or a stay-at-home iPad). Especially for a door opener/lock I don't trust anybody but Apple to have access.

So part of the reason they didn't do that is for the complexity. The Hue Bridge is already certified as a HomeKit device and these bulbs support the bridge so why the need to get them re-certified on their own? That would inflate their cost as they pay Apple those added licensing fees and slow down their launch cycle while they wait approval from Apple.
Second, if you first start with the bulb then add the bridge the setup gets quite complicated as the bridge itself is a HomeKit device. If the bulbs were too, when adding them to the bridge you'd essentially have to remove the bulbs from your HomeKit setup and reconfigure them with the bridge. Too much for the average user.

LifeX does work without a bridge but they are Wi-Fi-based bulbs and not Bluetooth or Zigbee as the Hue bulbs are.

Nothing changes as far as the privacy goes. In fact, since they are local using Bluetooth, one could argue they are more secure than bulbs that get on the Wi-Fi.

hmurchison 11824 comments · 23 Years

About 5 years ago

GeorgeBMac said:

"HomeKit is not supported in these bulbs over Bluetooth and still requires the Philipe Hue Bridge"

So, why would they do that?
I see only one reason: Spying.
.... Well, maybe a second possibility: Stupidity

The LifeX bulbs I bought for my grandson work great. So does the Insignia garage door opener. Both can use a hub if you want. But the hubs are all Apple devices (AppleTV, HomePod or a stay-at-home iPad). Especially for a door opener/lock I don't trust anybody but Apple to have access.

All bluetooth bulbs need a cloud account to store scenes and other stuff that the Bridge normally does. Philips probably doesn't want to build out a cloud infrastructure so for people that need more functionality they'll just add a Bridge.

StrangeDays 12980 comments · 8 Years

About 5 years ago

GeorgeBMac said:

"HomeKit is not supported in these bulbs over Bluetooth and still requires the Philipe Hue Bridge"

So, why would they do that?
I see only one reason: Spying.
.... Well, maybe a second possibility: Stupidity

What...on earth...are you talking about?

Latest Exclusives

Latest comparisons