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

[macchiato2009]

Belkin WeMo remote switch is way more cheaper and more versatile

[robanga]

Originally Posted by cgmpowers

Hey I want the bulbs, I like the idea, but the pricing confuses me.

Three bulbs costs $199 but after that its $59 a bulb. However, if I multiplied $59 times 3, I get $177. So what am I getting for that additional $22 they're charging for three??

Thanks
Chris

You get the wireless connection kit.

[AppleInMyBlood]

Originally Posted by rmwebs

No offence, but you'd have to have so much money you use it to wipe your arse to be willing to shell out $59 per bulb, just for the ability to control it from your phone.

Plus, it's been done already, but a LOT cheaper. If you want iOS controlled lights - seriously, do the research first. There are LOTS of options.

Ugh, yet another example of the useless posts I was complaining about in my rant above.

Please post a link to an iOS controlled networked LED system, of equivalent or better light quality and versatility as the new Philips product, that is also significantly cheaper than the latter, and that would be a helpful post.

[nick_elt]

Originally Posted by cgmpowers

Hey I want the bulbs, I like the idea, but the pricing confuses me.

Three bulbs costs $199 but after that its $59 a bulb. However, if I multiplied $59 times 3, I get $177. So what am I getting for that additional $22 they're charging for three??

Thanks
Chris

Hue is $199 for three bulbs plus the wireless link that can support up to 50 bulbs. Additional bulbs are available for $59 each.

its says there.

[niuniu]

Originally Posted by AppleInMyBlood

Ugh, yet another example of the useless posts I was complaining about in my rant above.

Please post a link to an iOS controlled networked LED system, of equivalent or better light quality and versatility as the new Philips product, that is also significantly cheaper than the latter, and that would be a helpful post.

^^
What he said.

I've been looking for a suitable cheaper alternative since I read about Hue and can't find one..

[AbSoluTc]

Originally Posted by cgmpowers

Hey I want the bulbs, I like the idea, but the pricing confuses me.

Three bulbs costs $199 but after that its $59 a bulb. However, if I multiplied $59 times 3, I get $177. So what am I getting for that additional $22 they're charging for three??

Thanks
Chris

The bridge that controls the bulbs.

[AppleInMyBlood]

Originally Posted by bketchum

I like this. The bulbs are too expensive for me to equip many lights, but I'd get one or two for the bedside lamps.

Just in case, a reminder that you need to buy the introductory pack for the networking bridge. The pack includes three lights, then you can buy more individually.

[bketchum]

If you could separate the bulb from the electronics so that replacing the bulb wasn't expensive, then the current first-time price wouldn't be as hard to take.

[ncaissie]

What I don’t get is why $199 for 3 when they are $59 each? 3 X $59 = $177

[TrentS]

Why do they have to have a wireless link? I was thinking they would have been smart enough to build the logic into each lightbulb, so it can singularly work by screwing it in any light socket, and directly work with an iOS app.

Or at least it should be able to work directly off your home computer router.... Apparently they didn't do this..... Therefore, too expensive for what it is.

[RemE]

Originally Posted by dcorban

I decided to do some calculations to see if LED is worth the cost. Assume that the bulb will be used for six hours every night, for a total of ~2200 hours per year. Prices taken from bulbscanada.

$0.55 for 60w incandescent, rated 6000 hours
$2.45 for 13w CFL, rated 6000 hours
$16.00 for 6.9w LED, rated 40000 hours

LED life is 18 years, meaning I would use 7 incandescents or CFL for every LED.

Purchase price over 18 years:
$3.85 incandescent
$17.15 CFL
$16 for LED

I pay 6.5 cents per kilowatt hour (we have "time of use" rates in Ontario, this is the off-peak rate), so the energy rates per year are:
$8.58 incandescent, $154.44 for 18 years
$1.86 CFL, $33.48 for 18 years
$0.99 LED, $17.76 for 18 years

Total cost of ownership for 18 years:
$158.29 incandescent
$77.58 CFL
$33.76 LED

Conclusion: you will pay $43.82 more over the life span of an LED bulb if you use CFL. Over the life span of these three bulbs, you would pay $131.46 to own and operate equivalent CFL bulbs. The Philips bulbs in the article have a $102 premium price. It is actually cheaper to buy these "expensive" Philips LED bulbs than any other bulb type!

This is all true, but as an early adopter to LED lighting I can tell you also that LEDs are DC low voltage devices that require a power supply. That power supply is usually a fairly sophisticated device (e.g switching supply) to make it compact and light. In my experience now over several years it's the power supply that fails in these bulbs, sometimes spectacularly in fact. The actual LED themselves are just a solid state diode and last a very long time. So the point is that IF it survives 15 years, you will save, but lose a few a year and its more of a break even. Buying quality LED bulbs from someone like Philips is hopefully getting you a quality power supply.

These are pretty cool bulbs, I would want to know how much the controller needs as far as the iOS interaction. I like the idea of snapping a photo and "color picking" the hue of the lights from the photo, pretty out of the box thinking. It would hopefully let you set a timer etc. and then close the app, wouldn't want my IOS device tied up for any length of time.

[ncaissie]

Originally Posted by AbSoluTc

The bridge that controls the bulbs.

Nevermind.
I missed this post.

[RemE]

Originally Posted by ncaissie

What I don’t get is why $199 for 3 when they are $59 each? 3 X $59 = $177

The controller comes as well...

[bketchum]

Originally Posted by AppleInMyBlood

Just in case, a reminder that you need to buy the introductory pack for the networking bridge. The pack includes three lights, then you can buy more individually.

Thanks for that.

[robanga]

Originally Posted by TrentS

Why do they have to have a wireless link? I was thinking they would have been smart enough to build the logic into each lightbulb, so it can singularly work by screwing it in any light socket, and directly work with an iOS app.

Or at least it should be able to work directly off your home computer router.... Apparently they didn't do this..... Therefore, too expensive for what it is.

You'd have to add a 802.11 radio to each bulb. I'm betting it was much cheaper and a lot less regulatory do one 802.11 bridge and go to simpler radios in the bulbs. I wonder what band the latter uses. You don't want your bulbs to dim every time the microwave comes on.

[RemE]

Originally Posted by TrentS

Why do they have to have a wireless link? I was thinking they would have been smart enough to build the logic into each lightbulb, so it can singularly work by screwing it in any light socket, and directly work with an iOS app.

Or at least it should be able to work directly off your home computer router.... Apparently they didn't do this..... Therefore, too expensive for what it is.

Disagree, having a seperate controller allows the bulbs to be simpler and cheaper, they will come down in price over time.

[rjohnstone]

Looks like Phillips poached LIFX's idea. (Their bulbs are supposed to be $69)
Bulb price is too high, but should come down with higher production numbers.

[bassfingers]

I want my light bulbs to wake me up in the morning!

not sarcasm,

the lights can start slowly coming on right when I need to wake up? awesome

[jeremiah256]

Interesting product but I wonder, is the system is locked? Can someone come along and release an app that controls both the lighting and temperature if you have a smart thermostat? If not, I'm not sure I want four or five separate apps controling climate, lighting, security, future Apple TV DVR, etc.

[grassfeeder]

Originally Posted by cgmpowers

Hey I want the bulbs, I like the idea, but the pricing confuses me.

Three bulbs costs $199 but after that its $59 a bulb. However, if I multiplied $59 times 3, I get $177. So what am I getting for that additional $22 they're charging for three??

Thanks
Chris

wireless hub that you connect to your wifi to control everything.....

[wilycoder]

Wow, light bulbs that only Mitt Romney can afford.

[robanga]

Originally Posted by wilycoder

Wow, light bulbs that only Mitt Romney can afford.

George Soros could too i am thinking

[Mr X]

Originally Posted by magbarn

I wonder if this programmable with a proximity sensor to your iphone's location. Would like to walk into a room and while I'm in there my iphone keeps the lights on and when I walk out the lights turn off. Yes, there's motion detectors already, but they suck as they turn off without large amounts of movement, ie. while I'm reading a book or just watching TV.

In the info they discuss future updates to include things like Geo tracking to switch lights on/off when you reach certain locations. Very cool!

[GorgonPhone]

Originally Posted by domesposito

They're already available at the Apple Store Arrowhead in Arizona.

cool im getting these

[wilycoder]

Originally Posted by robanga

George Soros could too i am thinking

thanks for sharing but i dont see Soros on the ballot