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Philips to Sell iOS-Controlled LED Light Bulbs Exclusively Through Apple Stores

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MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Philips has announced a new iOS-controlled LED lighting system that can emulate nearly any color, as well as personalize the lighting experience with a wide array of dimmer and scheduling options. The company believes the new bulbs could reinvent "the way we think about and experience light in our homes."
Building on its innovation capabilities, today Philips unveils hue, the world's smartest web-enabled LED home lighting system. Philips hue signals a new era in home lighting both in the way we think about and experience light in our homes. It allows you to create and control the light using your smartphone or tablet.

[...]

Philips hue can be setup in minutes. The intuitive app allows you to remotely control your home lighting to help secure your home, personalize your home lighting experience with custom settings and program timers to help manage your daily schedules, all through the convenience of a smart device. An intuitive and seamless system, Philips hue is upgradeable and future-proof, with the potential for more features to be downloaded and enjoyed in the future.
Click to expand...
Philips is also working on new features including geo-location to automatically turn lights on or off when users approach or leave heir homes, as well as integrating with other media including sound and video.

​
The bulbs will be sold exclusively via Apple Stores beginning tomorrow. Hue is $199 for three bulbs plus the wireless link that can support up to 50 bulbs. Additional bulbs are available for $59 each.

Apple has been pushing app-enabled accessories heavily in its online and retail stores, offering products as varied as thermostats, weight scales, blood pressure monitors, a meat thermometer and a pet-tracking GPS collar.

Update: The starter pack ($199.95) and individual bulbs ($59.95) are now available in Apple's online store.

Article Link: Philips to Sell iOS-Controlled LED Light Bulbs Exclusively Through Apple Stores
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/10/29/phillips-to-sell-ios-controlled-led-light-bulbs-exclusively-through-apple-stores/
Lesser Evets

Lesser Evets

macrumors 68040
Jan 7, 2006
3,527
1,294
You can buy single bulbs like this with a remote for $11 online. Same basic thing with colors and different blinking modes, etc.
 
Macman45

Macman45

macrumors G5
Jul 29, 2011
13,197
135
Somewhere Back In The Long Ago
I priced up the non IOS variety recently in the UK they want a staggering £15 per bulb...:eek: I know they are supposed to last longer, and will certainly save money, but to replace all the halogen bulbs in my place would cost in excess of £300! I think I'll wait until the price comes down a little, and take care about overuse of the ceiling lighting!
 
R

RobertD63

macrumors 6502
Feb 17, 2008
403
42
A place
You guys all can hate, and talk about how over priced they are, but I want it. I'll pay that for lighting that can be put on a sleep timer, adjusted to a color I select from a picture or color picker. I'll take 1 kit please.
 
C

CausticPuppy

macrumors 68000
May 1, 2012
1,536
68
Ah, it's about time. I can't count the number of times where I was wishing I had a way of changing the color of my lights using a phone. :eek:
 
cclloyd

cclloyd

macrumors 68000
Oct 26, 2011
1,760
147
Alpha Centauri A
I would buy it. Better than getting those smart home systems from xfinity, espeically when you don't need it in the entire room. Would be great for movies and gaming to use dim orange or blue lights.
 
nagromme

nagromme

macrumors G5
May 2, 2002
12,546
1,196
I as just about to buy some Philips regular LED bulbs: expensive at first, but low-waste and save money in the long run. I plan to replace my CFLs as they burn out.

Now I’ll have to look at the longevity on these iOS ones, and calculate how much more they’d cost vs. what I was going to buy anyway. If the difference is low enough, then I’ll get these instead, purely for fun :)
 
VulchR

VulchR

macrumors 68040
Jun 8, 2009
3,376
14,249
Scotland
I wonder if the next big thing isn't going to be connected mobile devices but connected domestic devices. Thermostats would be another good place to start - provided they are affordable.
 
W

WhoDaKat

macrumors 6502
May 20, 2006
379
665
Thats $199 for 3 bulbs? Um, how long do these bulbs last? They'd better be forever at that cost.
 
M

macchiato2009

macrumors 65816
Aug 14, 2009
1,258
1
it's totally Hue-seless :rolleyes:


huge lack of innovation from Philips

they've been trying to put lights everywhere, recently being LCD TVs to just to create fake ambiences, it was a huge failure

now pricey bulbs... :rolleyes:
 
R

rnizlek

macrumors 6502
Mar 31, 2004
335
176
Washington, DC
Keep in mind this is LED lighting. Standard bulbs run about $20 each, but they can last decades of use.

Please do not compare the price of this to the price of CFLs, incandescents, etc. It's apples to oranges.

I have a few Phillips LED L-Prize bulbs and I paid about $35 each, after a rebate from my power company, but you can get typical LED bulbs for around $20-$25.

Cool idea, but I think I can pass for now. I just don't have a need to turn lights on and off with my iPhone.
 
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