Every year, I always make a plan to decorate my Christmas tree like everyone else in the United States. Needless to say, it is a tradition across the country.
However, this year has been a different one for me when it comes to decorating the said tree.
I had previously decorated my tree right before Thanksgiving, but after I went home for Thanksgiving with my family, my mother happened to have purchased a set of Bluetooth Christmas lights at Target. At the time, she wanted them for her tree, but since she is nowhere close to being as tech-savvy as me, she ended up giving them to me.
The lights I was given was a pair of Philips App Controlled Lights. They have eight colors to them and a variety of motions and patterns to them. Most importantly, if you’re willing to spend a little more, you can get this pair for just $34.99.
Once I got home, I took down the lights I had put on my Christmas tree and put the new lights on. This meant that I had to get the lights on Philips’ app. Believe it or not, a lot simpler than what some may think.
What I do like about it is I can switch my tree from a multicolored light look or have basic white lights, and that it can switch into different patterns. This does include switching back and forth from multicolored to white lights and back again.
Another cool aspect about these smart lights is normally when I turn them on, it means that I have to bend or crouch down to pull the plug and turn them off each night.
Since the Philips lights are controlled from an app, all I have to do is open its app and shut the lights off from there. I can even do it from my bedroom, which is nice when I’m already comfortable in bed and don’t want to get up.
The only couple of things that I do not like about the lights are a couple of aspects. Those are the fact that I cannot integrate the lights with Apple’s HomeKit. It would be very cool to be able to tell Siri on my iPhone, iPad or HomePod to turn my Christmas lights on or off.
Another feature I would like to see would be more motions. Make it so the lights twinkle individually, as opposed to all at once. Don’t get me wrong, the fading twinkle of the lights is cool but it gets old somewhat quickly.
Other than those small issues, it is a great set of lights and definitely something that I would recommend for those who want to have the best “tech the halls” ever.
Do you have smart Christmas tree lights? Do you have Christmas tree lights that work with Apple’s HomeKit? Let us know on Twitter at @appleosophy or tag us in a photo or video on our Instagram at @appleosophy.
