Hands On Philips Hue HomeKit Hub (literally)

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While Philips Hue HomeKit-compatible gear isn’t officially expected until October 6, the A19 Starter Kit has begun appearing at various retail locations. Indeed, I literally got my hands on the v2 hub bridge. It’s smaller and squarer than the existing model, with a nicer matte finish and generally more tasteful presentation… that is entirely irrelevant since you’ll be plugging it into your router somewhere out of sight. There are three indicators, plus a glowing ring that surrounds the much larger pairing button.

As Philips moves the line to HomeKit, pricing of Hue bundles looks to remain unchanged (in the US, anyway). What’s not yet clear, but should be revealed within the next 48 hours, is the cost of a standalone HomeKit bridge to retrofit the bazillions of Hue homes that sport iOS (like mine). Also unclear, as I’m pretty sure an App Store update is required, is the extent of Siri voice control. For example, will it best Amazon Echo’s existing but limited (tho useful) Hue interaction?

UPDATE: The HomeKit replacement hub has popped up on Amazon for $60… But I’m waiting to learn more about Siri’s capabilities before making my purchase.

6 thoughts on “Hands On Philips Hue HomeKit Hub (literally)”

  1. I ordered the $80 Hue starter kit last week from Amazon. Post office said it was as delivered, but it is no where to be seen. Guess I’ll wait for this new version

  2. Tysons Best Buy had a few new items, like the new “Hue White and Color” A1 bulb and Hue Dimmer. But no Homekit kit or much else. Shelves were in the midst of a makeover. Plus $15 Lux bulbs were nowhere to be seen. Guess the rest will wait until Tuesday to respect Philips’ official release date. :-)

    Good recon, Dave. Did you actually buy the new hub or just touch it?

  4. I just got the Hue Lux Starter kit today at Best buy on sale for $59.00. If I buy this bridge will it replace or work with the existing bridge?

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