Review: Phillips Hue Starter Kit

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Phillips is a widely known brand for light bulbs and other electronics all over the world. On October 29th, 2012 the company put their name out there yet again; Introducing Hue: Personal Wireless Lighting. These smart, energy efficient light bulbs do much more that shine a light in dark places. As the tagline used suggests, they can get personal; whether it’s a date night at home with the lights glowing red, or a quiet night alone with a good book beneath a warm toned yellow light, Hue does it all. Initially controlled with the (now) Legacy Phillips Hue App for iOS and Android, these lights communicate with the provided bridge that allows them to talk to your wireless network and react as you’d like them to. On a positive note, Phillips has also recognized that not all have access to a wireless connection and these. bulbs will also function without for those just looking for a way to save money on everyday lighting.

philips-hue-glamour-v2

Smarter, Brighter, Color-er?

In October of 2015, just 3 short years after the launch of the original Hue system, Phillips announced their new batch of bulbs with an updated bridge that went to school. What does that mean? It means that Hue now works with Siri and Apple HomeKit. Now able to be controlled with voice, there’s a lot going on with owners of this new generation product.

“Hey Siri, turn bedroom magenta.”

“That’s a little too pink there Josh, are you sure?”

“Hey Siri, turn bedroom magenta”¦”

“Sure thing Josh, we are talking about you here anyways.”

That’s exactly what one would expect with the new set of sarcastic Siri remarks within iOS, but believe it or not, it’s much more simple. Simply assign each bulb to a room (this is explained via the Hue and HomeKit App), and tell Siri to turn, change, or modify (really, you can use whatever word means making the bulb a different color) the specific bulb to the color of your choice and boom, the lighting just got personal.

Siri Support wasn’t the only thing that got a refresh with these 2nd generation bulbs. Phillips was adamant that that Hue now displays more vibrant colors, reacts even faster, and can be up to 30% brighter based on the scenario in which they’re being used. It truly made this purchase worth a lot more to those that were still on the fence about it.

Yeah, We bought one”¦

Yes, we did, that’s the very reason for this review. Why the review 2 years after launch, though? The reason is simple”¦ because it’s still a great product. The Starter Kit for White and Color Ambience can be found at the Apple Store for $199USD.

What’s in the box?
-3 Color Ambience Bulbs emitting a whopping 800 Lumens a piece
-HomeKit Enabled Siri Hue Bridge
-Power Adapter
-Ethernet Cable

5 Stars, Oh and it’s rated 5 stars for energy efficiency

Overall, its an amazing product. Fits any mood for any occasion. Amazing responsiveness. Only costs about $0.28 cents a year to run. Need we say more?

If you’re looking to save money, experience HomeKit for the first time, add some pizzazz to your environment, or all of the above, get some Phillips Hue lights. You’ll be glad you did.

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Brahm Shank
Brahm Shank
7 years ago

I love my Philips Hue! Great review!

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