Philips Releases Hue 2.0, Lets Siri Control Your Home’s Connected Lighting

Philips just kicked connected lighting up a notch by integrating its Hue connected lighting system with the Apple HomeKit.

The newest feature? Philips Hue lights can now be voice controlled by using Siri on an Apple device and can be merged to work with other HomeKit devices.

So, what does this mean?Basically, you can voice just one command to Siri and have your front door unlocked, lights turned on, and heat cranked up simultaneously. So you can simply ask Siri to “wake up” your home and a few pre-programmed appliances will do what they’ve been asked to do  (like set the thermostat to a particular temperature). You can even have Siri recall any of the lighting modes used throughout the day or ask her to switch into “night mode” by turning off your home’s lights and locking the front door.

Philips Hue Bridge 2.0 merges existing and soon-to-come Philips Hue bulbs and lamps with the functionalities of a HomeKit and  by using the Philips Hue app. The new Philips Hue Bridge 2.0 will be able to support multiple connected home platforms now and into the future, including Apple HomeKit and iOS 9.

What else can you ask Siri to do?

– Ask  Siri to dim a light by simply saying “Siri, dim the table lamp to 30 percent”
– Ask Siri to light a specific room by saying “Siri, turn on the bathroom light.”
– Ask Siri to recall a favorite scene such as ‘Sunset’ by saying “Sunset mode.”

Watch a demo below.

Even though the Philips Hue Bridge 2.0 has taken on a new shape, shifting from its original round appearance to a square, the original Philips Hue Bridge will also continue to be supported and receive software updates.

The New Hue 2.0 system will be available October 6, 2015  in Europe and North America for $60 for new customers, but existing customers will receive a discount.