Philips Hue Bridge Pro Leaks: Lights Gain Motion Sensing & AI
Philips Hue, a dominant force in smart lighting, is on the cusp of its most significant system overhaul in a decade, spearheaded by the forthcoming Hue Bridge Pro. A product page, briefly appearing on Hue’s official website before its removal, offered a tantalizing glimpse into a device promising enhanced speed, greater capacity, and a groundbreaking feature: the ability to transform existing smart lights into motion sensors. This flagship launch is expected to be accompanied by a new video doorbell, a suite of outdoor lighting solutions, and a more energy-efficient A19 light bulb. Full details are anticipated at Signify’s (Hue’s parent company) press event in Berlin next month, preceding the IFA tech trade show.
The most compelling revelation from the leaked information is the Bridge Pro’s “MotionAware technology.” While specifics remain sparse, the description hints at a sophisticated new capability. Historically, Wi-Fi-based motion sensing has been employed by some smart lighting brands, including Hue’s sister company, Wiz. However, Philips Hue lights operate primarily on Zigbee, a low-power wireless mesh network. This distinction makes the potential integration of motion sensing particularly intriguing. Earlier this year, Ivani, a technology firm, unveiled its Sensify wireless sensing technology, which can imbue mains-powered Zigbee devices—such as light bulbs—with motion detection capabilities through a simple firmware update. Ivani’s co-founder previously indicated collaborations with “large household names” for deployment, suggesting a strong possibility that Hue could be leveraging Sensify’s innovation. If so, it would enable existing Hue bulbs and accessories to act as discrete motion sensors, automatically adjusting lighting as users navigate their homes without requiring dedicated, standalone sensors.
Beyond motion sensing, the new Bridge Pro is poised to deliver substantial performance upgrades. A leaked image outlining its technical specifications reveals a faster processor, increased RAM, and, notably, the addition of Wi-Fi connectivity, eliminating the need for a direct Ethernet connection to a router. The bridge will also boast support for up to 150 bulbs and 50 accessories, a more than threefold increase over the current bridge’s capacity. Furthermore, the Bridge Pro is expected to incorporate “advanced AI features,” likely integrating with Hue’s recently introduced AI lighting assistant to offer more personalized and adaptive lighting experiences.
Complementing the enhanced bridge, Philips Hue is preparing to introduce a new wired video doorbell, which first surfaced in leaks in March. A newly revealed image showcases a sleek design, reminiscent of the second-generation August doorbell. The leaked product page indicated 2K streaming capabilities, marking a significant upgrade from the 1080p resolution offered by Hue’s 2023 security cameras.
Another confirmed development is the expansion of Sonos’s voice assistant to control Hue lights. Users will soon be able to issue commands directly to Sonos speakers to activate or deactivate Hue lights, adjust brightness, change colors, or select pre-set lighting scenes. While Sonos Voice Control maintains a more focused scope compared to broader assistants like Alexa or Siri, its key advantage lies in processing all commands locally, enhancing privacy and responsiveness.
The upcoming product lineup also includes new lighting hardware. A more energy-efficient E26/A19 60-watt smart bulb is on the way, promising 40 percent less energy consumption and the ability to dim to an impressive 0.2 percent. This bulb will support Hue’s ChromaSync technology for precise color matching across multiple fixtures, a feature also extending to a new range of indoor and outdoor light strips with gradient lighting capabilities. For outdoor enthusiasts, two new Festavia-branded lights are anticipated: a set of permanent outdoor lights designed for fixed installation, similar to offerings from Govee and Nanoleaf, and a distinctive set of Globe String lights. The latter is particularly eye-catching, featuring individual bulbs with an “inner tube” that can be customized with light gradients, colors, and special effects.
This comprehensive suite of innovations, particularly the upgraded bridge with its integrated motion-sensing technology, represents a pivotal moment for Philips Hue. It promises not only to fortify the system’s core infrastructure and support a larger ecosystem of devices but also to fundamentally streamline home automation by potentially eliminating the need for dedicated motion sensors altogether.