Philips Hue can now make your dumb wall switches smart

One of the biggest issues with smart lights It’s the way they interact with traditional wall switches, which is exactly what Philips Hue hopes to fix with its new wall switch unit.

Typically, the problem with connecting smart lights to a traditional wall switch is that if you use the switch to turn off smart lights instead of using an app or voice command, then the smart lights won’t be able to communicate with the rest of your devices. This means that it will not be possible to access your smart lights until the next time you use the wall switch to turn it over again, essentially eliminating the entire purpose of smart lights.

To solve this problem, Philips Hue created a new wall switch unit, It is a small, wired device In your wall switch, Allowing you to use the switch to turn the lights on and off while still being enabled Hue bulbs and lights to keep connection with your phone or Philips Hue hub. So even if you turn it off with the switch, the Hue smart bulbs will not lose their functionality.

Available for $ 40 each or $ 70 for a pack of two, the obvious downside to Hue’s wall switch unit is that in addition to working with only Hue bulbs, the wall switch unit is relatively more expensive compared to a traditional wall switch, so instead of installing it in all Across your home, Hue users may only want to strategically install it inTraffic areas.

And the In order to maintain contact With the rest of your home network, the Hue Wall Switch unit is powered by a small, disposable battery. Philips Hue says the battery that comes with the wall switch unit should last about five years on a single charge, But when you finally die, you’ll need to remove the front panel of your wall switch and Mess with your wires again in order to replace them.

On the bright side, Philips Hue says its wall switch unit should work with both conventional and rocker switches as well as push-button switches. However, if you want a more modular solution to control Hue bulbs, Philips Hue is also launching An updated Hue Dimmer Switch that features a new programmable Hue button That can be customized to play a file Lighting scene or recipe.

The new Philips Hue Wall Switch will be available in North America sometime this summer for $ 40, with the updated Hue Dimmer Switch arriving earlier February 23 for $ 25.