Philips Hue’s new wall switch module solves one of the oldest smart lighting problems



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Signify just announced two new Philips Hue smart lighting products, as well as two changes to existing products. The new Amarant linear floodlight can light up exterior walls for a bit of contrast, but the Philips Hue wall switch module is much more interesting to most people, which solves one of the oldest problems with smart lighting. : an intelligent light in a receptacle mute switch.

The Philips Hue wall switch module is the only wireless end cap in this exploded diagram.

In the past – as all eras before the Philips Hue wall switch module will now be known – if someone turned off the switch that controlled your smart lighting, it was curtains. You would actually have to get up, walk all the way and turn the switch back on to make it work again, lamenting each time-consuming step of the round trip. Fortunately, that era is over.

While the new Philips Hue wall switch module will not turn mute lights into smart lights, it will turn your switch into a smart control itself, which can trigger scenes remotely and which remote controls can reverse. This means that the switch it’s wired to can control your lights without interfering with wizard-based or app-based commands. Or, more anecdotally, you can turn the sofa lights back on after your Uncle Kevin accidentally turns them off for the thousandth time after you made it very clear that this the switch can’t be turned off because of your fancy lights. (It’s really not very complicated, Kevin, don’t touch that switch.)

The Philips Hue wall switch module is battery powered, using a button cell battery, and although it is built to last at least five years on a charge, you will take this switch apart again to replace it once it dies. This is not a deciding factor, but it is something to be expected, especially if you are not comfortable installing or maintaining something like this yourself – although we cannot. imagine it’s too hard to do.

It will be available this summer for those of us in North America and a little earlier in the spring for Europeans. Prices vary by market, but we can expect to pay $ 40 for one or $ 70 for two here in the US.

The Amarant linear projector in action – they can be connected in series.

The Amarant Linear Spot will be available a little earlier: March 2 in North America, starting at $ 170. As before, the EU gets it a bit earlier on January 26.

The new Philips Hue dimmer.

There’s also a redesigned Philips Hue dimmer with full wireless controls and a magnetic back. Essentially, it will allow you to remove the switch (or at least its controls) from your wall, carry them around, and lose them on the sofa. But, at least you can still control those lights through the wizard when you do.

The new dimmer will be available from February 23 in North America (January 26 for the EU), priced at $ 25.

The company also announced that its Philips Hue Appear, which debuted last year, is now available in a brushed stainless steel finish, apparently only in the EU, available on January 26 for € 150.

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