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LEDVANCE announces new hub-free, HomeKit-compatible color lighting from $45

Lighting company LEDVANCE has announced its first HomeKit-compatible lightbulbs that work without a hub. This means you can dip a toe in the smart lighting waters by buying just a single bulb. The company says it also makes for a simpler installation process.

Installation is easy. Screw in the Bluetooth-enabled bulb into any lamp in your home, apartment or dorm room. Sync it with the Home app on your Apple device that is already an integral part of your busy life. Start controlling the light. It’s that simple.

The company says that one product will available for pre-order later today, while two others will follow ‘in the near future’ …

An A19 full-color lightbulb under the Sylvania Smart+ sub-brand will be available for pre-order from Amazon for $49.99, with delivery expected in September. A color flex strip and plug socket will follow. The company already offers a wide range of lighting products under this brand.

The bulb is designed to offer similar functionality to the market-leading Philips Hue bulbs, but without the need for a hub connected to your router.

Features include turning it on and off, dimming it, adjusting it from a cool white for concentrating to a warm white for relaxing, and changing it to one of millions of colors to quickly and easily complement the décor of any room. For example, a living room can be easily transformed from a home office for being task orientated to a fun party room for entertaining in seconds.

The company sees it as an easy-entry point for those new to smart home technology.

Our new HomeKit-enabledSylvania Smart+ products are perfect for those who have heard how great it is to have a Smart Home but aren’t yet ready to tackle the installation and maintenance responsibilities of a larger system […] We are making the reality of Smart Home even easier to obtain for the masses.

The downside of hub-free bulbs is that they tend to be significantly bulkier than hub-based products. We’ll be bringing you a review later.

LEDVANCE isn’t the first company to create hub-free HomeKit-compatible bulbs.  Koogeek first launched a hub-free HomeKit-compatible bulb back in June. It also offers a Smart Socket to add smarts to existing bulbs. Koogeek’s smart bulbs officially start at $54.99 but can be found on Amazon at a significant discount.


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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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