Last year at CES alongside a preview of the Hue 3.0 iOS app, a new line of Philips Hue outdoor lightning products was teased and later released in July. Joining the existing line of exterior bulbs, light strips, and lamps today are a new Philips Hue Outdoor sensor and several wall-mounted light fixtures.
The Philips Hue Outdoor sensor is weather-resistant, wireless, and battery powered, allowing for convenient placement almost anywhere. The sensor connects to the Hue app and can automatically turn on your indoor or outdoor lights when someone passes by.
The sensor offers a detection range of 12 meters (39 feet) and an integrated dusk-to-dawn sensor to disable control while the sun is out. Expected availability in the U.S. begins in February at a cost of $49.95.
Also new are the Philips Hue Welcome Flood Light, Discover Flood Light, and Econic family. All of the new wall-mounted exterior fixtures will be available in February. The Welcome Flood Light offers one shade of bright white light for $109.99. The Discover Flood Light will retail for $139.99 and offers white and color ambiance light. The Econic family will be available for $129.99. More information can be found on the Philips Hue website.
Finally, for Google Assistant users, Philips Hue products are gaining helpful new integrations. Voice commands will activate sleep and wake light effects replicating optimum lighting for evening and early mornings. The feature is expected to be available in March 2019. In detail:
- One-time alarm sync: Users can say “Hey Google, turn on Gentle Wake Up”, which will sync their Philips Hue lights with their morning alarms with the Google Assistant. Every time, the user sets their alarm on the Google Assistant, Philips Hue lights will naturally wake the user up with a sunrise effect starting 30 minutes before the alarm.
- Scheduled sleep / wake: Users will be able to set the sleep feature by saying “Hey Google, sleep the lights at 10 p.m.” The lights will change to a warm tone of white light, which will gradually fade out over 30 minutes. This functionality will similarly work when you would like to wake up.
- Direct action: Users can instruct their Philips Hue lights via the Google Assistant to sleep and wake immediately, meaning the Philips Hue lights will activate the sleep and wake process for the 30-minute duration.
- Multi-person activation: Just like the Hue app, the Google Home app lets you manage your lights in different rooms, which means you can set the wake-up routine not only for your own bedroom but also for other rooms, such as “Kids Bedroom”.
For more useful tips on setting up your own smart home system with HomeKit-compatible products like Philips Hue, check out our ongoing series HomeKit Weekly.
You can keep up with all of the latest product announcements from Las Vegas in our CES 2019 Guide.
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