Philips Hue now responds to your Siri commands
One of the frustrations of choosing an Internet of Things device is finding one that plays well with the other smart appliances in your home. Philips' Hue lighting platform is already pretty extensible, but today it's finally gained support for another big partner: Apple. With its new Homekit-enabled bridge, Philips will let you control your lighting via Siri (and supporting third-party apps), whether your bulbs are old or new.
Philips first announced it would integrate Apple's smart home technology back in June, giving it time to put the finishing touches on the Hue Bridge 2.0. This rounded box, which could be mistaken for a Nest product at first glance, comes packed with the necessary Homekit hardware and features. If you already own a range of Hue products, then you'll need the updated bridge in order to incorporate Hue bulbs into your existing Homekit setup or say things like "Siri, dim the table lamp to 30 percent."
The company does recognize that existing users won't want to spend too much to add Siri functionality to their current setup. Owners of the old bridge will be able to upgrade to the Homekit version for $40 (£33) until the end of December, while everyone else will need to spend $60 (£50). If you want to go all in, the full lighting kit comes with brighter new bulbs and Bridge 2.0 for $200. They all go on sale from tomorrow (October 6th) and are available from Apple stores, Amazon and other supporting retailers.
