Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

AlecZ

macrumors 65816
Sep 11, 2014
1,173
123
Berkeley, CA
no it wont. it's already cost-effective. im just a normal guy and im using products like GE's in my normal house, at prices far, far less than they used to be when these were reserved to rich-guy smart-houses.

Do you save enough electricity for it to be worth it?
 

mw360

macrumors 68020
Aug 15, 2010
2,042
2,413
Who ever ends up getting my business will have a solution that integrates with HomeKit and dumps the bridge.

HomeKit will require proprietary Apple components inside every connected device. If Hue didn't have the bridge we'd all be looking at having to replace every single Hue bulb to get Homekit integration. You may not like the idea of a bridge, but using it makes your investment in expensive bulbs future-proof.
 

s1m

macrumors 6502a
Apr 28, 2008
555
190
I am running a combination of light systems as I wasn't at one with Hue - very clunky interface and hard to do anything useful. Soon I will have eight Hue, six Playbulb and two emberlights. I can then think about how I actually want them to work.

As an earlier poster commented ideally I would like to drive into the drive and turn on lights to light the way in and have a light in the house on a timer/light sensor to go on when it starts to get dark so the dogs aren't sat in the dark.

It also needs to be easy for everyone in the house to use - including people without Apple watches.
 

2457282

Suspended
Dec 6, 2012
3,327
3,015
HomeKit will require proprietary Apple components inside every connected device. If Hue didn't have the bridge we'd all be looking at having to replace every single Hue bulb to get Homekit integration. You may not like the idea of a bridge, but using it makes your investment in expensive bulbs future-proof.

I understand your point and that is why I say that many people including me are sitting on the sidelines waiting to see how this plays out. i have 4 bulbs so my potential loss is less than the cost of a watch (which is still frustratingly not delivered). I probably have 20 or more fixtures that I could put a smart bulb into. If they ever get this right, I would love to automate the entire house with smart bulbs. so for me, I am willing to start over if the solution is well done.
 

japanime

macrumors 68030
Feb 27, 2006
2,916
4,844
Japan
Well, I was an early Hue adopter, and I maintain that you may be placing the blame in the wrong place. My question, based on my largely disappointing experience with Hue would be, "Why is it taking Philips so long to get their stuff HomeKit enabled?"

Hue has been a kludge from day one, and while I didn't expect it to be the end all, be all as soon as I bought it I really thought and hoped Philips would have made better strides with it than they have.

Agreed. I have Hue lights throughout my house, and love them — when the iOS app controls them properly. Which is only about half the time.

Great lights, terrible software.
 

wikiverse

macrumors 6502a
Sep 13, 2012
691
958
"Intelligent" is not the appropriate word to use in this title.

Words mean things.

These are LEDs that can change colour and be dimmed. That is not even close to intelligence.

This is like calling a TV 'intelligent' when the Infrared remote control was invented.
 

macosxuser01

macrumors 6502a
Jan 10, 2006
602
141
Sacramento, CA
I have the hue bridge and 4 lightbulbs. As soon as Homekit was announced I stopped buying until the integration was real. I am not investing any more money into something that may or may not integrate. When someone puts out a strong product that integrates into HomeKit, I will invest in that. At this point Philips is losing business because I bet there are a lot of folks like me sitting on the sideline waiting for someone to get it right. And they are at huge risk if they don't put something out soon. There are several vendors that are doing lights that are competative with Hue and which ever gets out there first with the integration is going to get the pent up demand.

I am ready to dump Hue if someone puts out a strong product that integrates into Homekit. Limitless LED, Lifx, MisFit Bolt, and WeMo are all option that could grap the lead if they build something that works first.

Who ever ends up getting my business will have a solution that integrates with HomeKit and dumps the bridge.

Or you can go with a Alarm.com system. Basically anything Z-Wave will work so you can have all your devices under one system
 

MacVista

macrumors 6502
Jun 18, 2007
303
2
I'm all set up with Hue bulbs through my whole house. All I've ever wanted is to be able to say "Hey Siri turn out all of the lights" as I go to bed and have it be so.

Why is it taking 2 years for Apple to release Homekit properly?!

Ever since we lost Steve Jobs.
Stay up and listen to Beats Radio instead.

----------

Agreed. Great lights, terrible software.

Software not up par? All you can do is get used to it.
 

steve knight

macrumors 68030
Jan 28, 2009
2,735
7,180
B
Waiting for Apple is not something I want to do most of their new software tends to suck and it tends to be for less versatile. I use smartthings and it is not perfect but it has tons of options and features and does not need special hardware made just for it.
 

mw360

macrumors 68020
Aug 15, 2010
2,042
2,413
Agreed. I have Hue lights throughout my house, and love them — when the iOS app controls them properly. Which is only about half the time.

Great lights, terrible software.

I recommend iConnectHue for any Hue owner. Terrible name, but much better software than Philips' own effort. Does everything the standard app does and much more. (Except that ridiculous photo match thing). Even the colour selector wheel is honest about what colours are actually available.

It's a bit 'expensive' for some, and there are several IAPs, and I think the iPad version is a separate purchase, but it's very niche, so we should expect to have to spend a bit extra.
 

0098386

Suspended
Jan 18, 2005
21,574
2,908
I'd like to get some of these but my whole house is kitted out with halogen fittings and fluorescent tube fittings. Are halogens not common in the US?
 

steve knight

macrumors 68030
Jan 28, 2009
2,735
7,180
I find the hue hub has some nice features it is easier to connect bulbs then my smartthings hub I have mostly GE bulbs and they need reset and reconnected often much easier to use the hue hub for that. Buy for the widgets I don't use the app. after using smartthings hub even with the bags I doubt homekit well even comes close in usability and versatility. Plus having to rebuy locks and such.
 

steve knight

macrumors 68030
Jan 28, 2009
2,735
7,180
I recommend iConnectHue for any Hue owner. Terrible name, but much better software than Philips' own effort. Does everything the standard app does and much more. (Except that ridiculous photo match thing). Even the colour selector wheel is honest about what colours are actually available.

It's a bit 'expensive' for some, and there are several IAPs, and I think the iPad version is a separate purchase, but it's very niche, so we should expect to have to spend a bit extra.

do you know if two people in the house use it the lights won't turn off till both leave?
 

mw360

macrumors 68020
Aug 15, 2010
2,042
2,413
do you know if two people in the house use it the lights won't turn off till both leave?

Haven't tested - there's not a 1:1 ratio of devices to people in our house so that feature is no use to us. I suspect it doesn't handle that though.
 

steve knight

macrumors 68030
Jan 28, 2009
2,735
7,180
Ya that's what I am thinking. Nest can and and smartthings do. I got some setting up yet before I can test it fully
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.