In order to keep up with ever-growing technology, they probably felt that an upgrade was due. In the almost 10 years that it’s been around, technology has been making major strides. After all, the first-generation Hue Bridge hit the market for the first time in 2012. Could a software update have handled this without the need for a new version all together? Perhaps.īut in order to make further upgrades, Philips thought it best to incorporate all of them into a new Bridge. The Hue Bridge version 2 also introduced support for Apple HomeKit, whereas the first generation did not. At best, the design change makes it easy to tell the difference between the two versions. Aesthetically? Perhaps – for some individuals. The Hue Bridge version 1 is round, while the version 2 is square. So what was the big deal anyway? What would be so different about the new hub that the old one had to go? What’s the difference between Philips Hue Bridge 1 and 2?įor starters, there’s a physical difference. just send one for free) – but it was better than nothing! It may not have been what they wanted (a.k.a. To sweeten the deal a little, Hue offered existing customers a discount for $20 off the new bridge, bringing the grand total down to $40. If they wanted to continue using their Philips Hue smart lights as well as their other Hue devices, users now had to go out to get the upgrade, and shell out about $60 USD for a new Bridge – definitely nothing to sneeze at! But, if they were going to continue to use their Hue products (and why wouldn’t they?), purchasing a new Bridge was their only option. As you can imagine, this didn’t sit well with many Philips Hue users. Functionality would be limited to local network use only using the Hue Bridge v.1 app. In April of 2019, Philips announced that as of April 30 th, 2020, there would be no more software updates for version 1 of the Hue Bridge, nor would they have access to Hue cloud services. In 2020, Philips did what many Philips Hue users feared would happen – they pulled support from the first version of the Hue Bridge. Support For the Hue Bridge v.1 Ended in 2020 If you’re not a big Amazon Echo fan, or just want to have all of Hue’s awesome capabilities at your fingertips, then the Bridge is definitely something you want to consider. Depending on how you use your lights, you may not care nor need the few options you may be missing – but it’s something to consider if you decide to go this route. While you can use most of the features that you’d be able to with a Hue Bridge, not every option (especially the Philips Hue lab formulas, and home and away control) is available. Newer versions of Amazon’s Echo are now equipped with a Zigbee chip, eliminating the need for a separate hub or bridge when connecting Zigbee-enabled devices. Scenario#2: You may not need a Bridge if you own an Echo Plus. You also won’t be able to use all of the cool room and routine features that you’d be able to with a Hue Bridge either – so that can be an issue. Philips Hue B22 full RGB color bulb with Bluetooth supportįor example, you can only control up to 10 lights, and because Bluetooth range is limited to about 30 feet, you would ideally have to be in the same room in order to control them.
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