For those who missed out on the last Amazon France sale on these (119,00€), 125 EUR is still a pretty good price for the latest 3rd gen, which i believe hasn't been released in Australia yet.
Philips Hue E27 Starter Kit (3rd Gen) EUR125 ~ AUD $180 Delivered @ Amazon.fr
140
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Richer colours (specifically the Blues & Greens) and they've improved the security of the bulbs as well, no changes to the hub as far as I know.
Are these the ones that Amazon:Echo can control?
Echo can control LIFX bulbs too (and others via IFTTT).
I've been looking to get the starter kit for a while, missed out on earlier deals but I managed to grab this one. Thanks
So why the need for the Hub anyway? Just seems like antiquated tech not to be direct Wifi like most other Wifi devices available inc. competitors Smart Bulbs. Genuine question and interested to hear reasons & opinions for the need for a Hub.
One benefit is you can upgrade the tech used for device communications without needing to replace every smart appliance. For example, the 2nd Gen introduced HomeKit support. People could upgrade for the cost of a hub (think it was around $90) as opposed to needing to replace every lightbulb in the house if you wanted to use HomeKit.
I'd assume potentially you can put more powerful processing capabilities into a hub too if you ever wanted to do something more fancy. Probably not applicable for lights but possible could come to play with other devices down the line (say image processing for security cameras).
Might also help with cost by pushing processing to a single point and in turn simplifying the appliance.
Ah yes, true-true regarding the possibility of running other devices like cameras etc. but that turns me off even more as they'll probably try to push 'Philips Only' devices. Hmm. Cheers for the info anyway.
I've always been tempted to get a Hue pack but have never bitten the bullet purely based on the fact that it needs that darn Hub. The comms tech should already be well OTT for the job required, I mean it's just a light afterall! Compare it to say SONOS gear… Multizone Wifi Audio. Sure, when I got my first unit 9+ years ago you needed to run a 'Bridge' between the proprietary SONOS mesh and your own home Network however over time they managed to get rid of the Bridge and now they just run direct off Wifi… even the original 9+ year old units! Very well designed as dumb, empty appliances and completely reprogrammable via OTA Firmware updates. That's what I expect from Smart Bulbs too as they're really the same thing, just for Light instead of Audio. I do like Philips LED products but wont jump on these until they get rid of that Hub. Just personal preference.
To be honest I've had the same thoughts on the hub. There seems to be advantages and disadvantages. Decided to bite the bullet and grab this deal though as I'm keen to enter the smart appliance market.
Depending on how many lights you see yourself getting, the cost overhead of the hub may eventually disappear or become relatively irrelevant from a price perspective.
If Apple HomeKits not a must have feature today, perhaps Lifx is a good alternative for yourself? That or wait a bit longer as they're looking to add HomeKit to the bulbs (I'm curious to see the cost implications with that).
@Smigit: Yeah, have been looking at the LIFX stuff too as well as the Xiaomi but it seems they're all currently in the big chase for compatibility with each of the 'Home' systems. Not an Apple user/owner at all so none of that bothers me. Google all the way however I'm not sure I'd even be bothered to integrate other devices so unlike others I'm not even sure if any of it matters for me personally anyway. Might just sit back and wait for the dust to settle as I'm in no rush. They'll just get better & better & cheaper with time anyway ;)
3rd Gen has been available in Australia for the last couple of months. Simply-Leds have them in stock, and Officeworks got it in stock a couple of weeks ago.
Regardless, this is a good price.
I believe you are showing us Gen 2.
None of Gen 3 (Richer Colors) are available in Australia.Simply LEDs are definitely second gen, the product name itself says it's version 2.0.
Pretty sure Officeworks are the 2.0 as well. The part number of HUEKITMK2 would be a good clue towards that being the case.
Price i just paid was ~99 Euro + 17 Euro Delivered to Qld. with Normal shipping. deal ends in 15 Hours.
What makes 3rd gen so good?