Moving beyond the smart LED bulbs that have been the hallmark product of the Philips Hue brand, the company has announced the emergence of the Hue Cher line, a series of ceiling-mounted lighting fixtures that inherit all of the home automation chops of their predecessors.
Based on a contemporary design, the Philips Hue white ambiance Cher fixture will be available in flush-mount, semi-flush-mount, and suspension variations—all finished in black. These fixtures will ship with an included Hue wireless dimmer switch, and can be integrated into connected homes for lighting automation through the installation of the separately-available Philips Hue bridge.
With LED elements similar in design to Philips Hue light bulbs, these so-called white ambiance fixtures offer a broad color temperature range of cool daylight to warm white, smooth dimming, and an output of 3000 lumens. Philips says the fixtures are particularly well suited to living rooms and bedrooms.
When used with the second generation of the Hue hub, these fixtures as well as all other Hue lamps and fixtures can be controlled by the Philips Hue Apple iOS and Android mobile apps, and moreover, integrates them with all 3 preeminent voice activation ecosystems—the Apple Siri digital assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant. The latest Hue hub also facilitates integration with Apple HomeKit and the Apple Home app on iOS.
Philips also announced the forthcoming availability of new Hue LED downlights, which are designed for retrofits into standard incandescent recessed can light fixtures. The Retrofit Downlights feature the same white ambience lighting design as the Cher fixtures and are rated at 750 lumens. They include a standard E26 light socket adapter for ease of installation and will be available in 4-in. and 5/6-in. variations.
