Philips' smart-home hub for LED lighting, the connected lighting system Hue, has been upgraded and is now available on Apple's HomeKit system, which connects household products such as lighting and appliances that work together through a single command.
Philips Hue lights can be voice controlled through Siri on the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Apple Watch, and integrated to work seamlessly and securely with other HomeKit-enabled devices, the company says, allowing the user to do a variety of things such as unlock the front door, turn the on lights and heating, etc.
“Lighting is the most accessible aspect of the connected home, and as the lighting expert for the Internet of Things we are taking connected lighting to the next phase,” said Eric Rondolat, Chief Executive Officer at Philips Lighting. “By integrating Philips Hue with Apple HomeKit, we are broadening people’s experience of light beyond what has been previously possible, providing seamless interoperability with other connected home devices.”
The new Philips Hue Bridge 2.0 seamlessly brings together existing and forthcoming Philips Hue bulbs and lamps, so that they benefit from all the functionalities of HomeKit and work seamlessly with other HomeKit-enabled devices. Through Philips Hue app 1.10, the new Philips Hue Bridge 2.0 will be able to support multiple connected home platforms now and into the future, including Apple HomeKit and iOS 9. The user can ask Siri to dim lights and to call up favorite lighting settings and more.
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