Philips Hue announces new economic bulbs, LED stripes and a smart video intercom to IFA

The world of Smart Home is increasingly competitive with brands such as go and Amazon who push to conquer new users thanks to economic and functional products; These are only two of the producers that populate the panorama of modern home automation to which are added more famous brands such as Lifx and Philips.

Philips Hue, a signify brand and the historical protagonist of the smart lighting, however, does not intend to remain to look at the exponential growth of the economic band of the sector and, on the occasion of the IFA 2025 event, underway in Berlin, the company has revealed a series of devices designed for expand the Hue ecosystem and strengthen its position as player dominant in the sector also expanding in a new segment.

The Philips Hue ecosystem expands again and does not fear rivals

The company has revealed some news unexpected by the new hub Bridge Pro to Most accessible bulbs of the range Essentialup to the unpublished Omniglow LED stripes and a Smart Hue Secure video intercom.

The strategy here is Chiara and aims to fill some gaps in the range, ranging from devices for advanced users to the demolition of costs for those who want to approach the Hue world without lightening the wallet too much, effectively launching the challenge to brands such as go and Amazon in the segment.

Bridge Pro: more devices and new functions

One of the limits most discussed by the historical users of Philips Hue concerns the ability of the hub, which until now allowed to connect a maximum of 50 bulbs.

With the new Bridge Pro, sold to 89.99 dollarsthe problem is finally overcome: the hub supports Over 150 lights and 50 accessoriestripling the ability of the previous model.

In addition to the number of devices, it also improves connectivity: it is no longer necessary to use an Ethernet cable, as the Bridge Pro can connect directly to Wi-Fisimplifying installation and management.

Among the novelties the function stands out Motionawarewhich requires at least three hue lamps per room in order to be triangular with the movements.

This system allows you to automate ignitions and off when you enter a roombut it can also send notices in case of suspicious movementseffectively opening up to home security scenarios without the addition of dedicated sensors but which rely exclusively on the lights.

Essential bulbs: cheaper to compete with governs

If on the one hand Philips Hue remains synonymous with quality, on the other, as mentioned, the high price of its products is often an obstacle for new users. With the Essential line, the brand aims directly to the entry-level band dominated by brands such as go and other names that populate Amazon’s sales lists.

The new A19 bulbs start from 24.99 dollarsa much lower figure than traditional Hue. The performances are lower but the compromises seem few: they do not reach the same brightness and cannot be regulated up to the minimum levels of the premium versions.

However, the Compatibility with the entire Hue 2025 ecosystem It remains guaranteed, ensuring full support for scenes, automation and vocal control.

Essential, however, is in fact a new family of Hue products that includes different formats: A19, Gu10 Spotlights, LED strip and flexible LED stripes. Without Bridge they can work in Bluetooth for basic checks, but to fully exploit its potential, it is necessary to connect them to a hub.

This solution allows Philips Hue to offer aconcrete alternative to those looking for an economic entry into the Smart Homewith the possibility of gradually expanding the system without having to change the platform; They are in fact a first step in their ecosystem, with the hope that users initially approached thanks to the Essential range will later upgrade the premium family of products.

Omniglow: the strip led “without light points”

Philips Hue has long been synonymous with decorative strip LEDs, but the novelty of 2025 brings a qualitative leap in fact the new ones Omniglow they promise to be “The first completely free of visible light points“.

According to what was declared by the company, this would be possible thanks to Ultra -compact LEDs from less than 0.5 mm which makes the light appear uniform and continuous, without the classic dots that often ruin the aesthetic effect. The price, however, remains premium: 139.99 dollars For a 3 meter kit.

Next to this novelty, the company offers new interior strip strips, extra-bourright versions and outdoor variants, including folding neon models for flexible decorations.

Philips Hue Secure: the video intercom that challenges Amazon openly face

The twist of the presentation in IFA was undoubtedly the arrival of the Smart Hue Secure video intercomclear attempt by Philips to extend the brand also to domestic security, a territory so far dominated by Amazon with ring.

The device, sold to 169.99 dollarsoffers a resolution in 2k and a head-to-toe frame, capable of resume the entire figure of those who play on the door.

His strength lies in integration with the Hue ecosystem: The external lights can automatically turn on the arrival of a visitorincreasing the safety of the entire house.

In addition, an optional accessory is also available: a chime from 59.99 dollarswhich acts from sound bell But it can also transform into security siren In case of need.

On the software front, Philips Hue promised a plus that few competitors offer free of charge or 24 hours of cloud video storage without additional costs, coming to the end of the year for all users of the secure range.

A commercial strategy across the board

Therefore, the novelties presented at IFA 2025 reveal a clear strategy: Philips Hue wants to continue to be perceived as a premium brand, but without leaving free field to cheaper competitors.

On the one hand, products like Essential bulbs lower the entrance barrier; on the other, solutions such as Bridge Pro and Omniglow strengthen the positioning in the high end of the brand. Two solutions that satisfy every type of consumer.

Furthermore, the debut in the videocopophones sector marks an expansion to smart security, a strong growth market where Hue can take advantage of integration with intelligent lighting as a distinctive element and expand its proposal to the whole house.

It all started with smart bulbs and now Hue points to Create an ecosystem that can serve the entire intelligent house With an increasingly mature ecosystem that does not remain still on its positions but is enriched in all directions.