We’re already fans of Philips Hue’s bowl-shaped portable Go lamp, and now the smart lighting brand has a new model that looks more like a traditional table lamp.
During a virtual briefing Monday, Signify-owned Philips Hue also unveiled a new version of its discontinued Tap switch, along with a colorful new “Sunrise” automation, a new Signe gradient floor lamp with an oak finish, and a series of next-gen downlights.
Philips Hue Go portable table lamp
Slated for release in late summer for $159.99, the Philips Hue Go portable table lamp will arrive in both black and white flavors, and it has a translucent trim, metal construction, and a silicone grip about two-thirds of the way up its pipe.
The Go portable table lamp comes with a circular charging dock that begins charging the lamp as soon as it’s placed on the charging contact. (It’s worth noting that the lamp isn’t compatible with Qi wireless chargers.)
Signify
The charging base can give the Go lamp a full charge in about three or four hours, while the rechargeable battery can deliver up to 48 hours of battery life on the lamp’s dimmest setting, or about six hours on its brightest setting.
As with the bowl-shaped Go portable lamp (the second generation came out in 2020), the Go portable table lamp works over Bluetooth as well as Zigbee, and it’s also a white and color ambiance light, capable of glowing in up to 16 millions colors.
Designed for both indoor and outdoor use, the Go portable table lamp has an IP44 rating, meaning it offers protection from dust as well as water splashes.
Philips Hue Tap dial switch
Also coming soon is a new version of the eight-year old Philips Hue Tap switch, which was discontinued back in 2020.
Set for release today for $49.99, the Hue Tap dial switch has four buttons similar to the original Tap, albeit with a new design that divides the face of the switch into marked, clickable quadrants. Each button on the Tap can be assigned to any Hue light scene. The first Tap had three smaller circular buttons, while the fourth button was the face of the switch itself.
Signify
The biggest new addition to the Hue Tap dial is–you guessed it–a dial around the circumference of the switch, allowing you to dim the lights without pulling out your phone or using voice commands.
Another change from the first Hue Tap is that the Hue Tap dial has a magnetic backing, allowing you to attach it to a metal surface or the included mounting plate. The first Hue Tap lacked a magnetic backing, meaning it had to be snapped into its mounting plate.
New Hue Sunrise automation
Philips Hue is adding a new wake-up routine designed to take advantage of its multicolor gradient lights. Instead of just slowly increasing the brightness of your lights, the Sunrise automation offers a “rich, colorful transition” from blue to soft orange light, and you can set it to last from anywhere from five minutes to an hour.
The Sunrise mode will work with Hue lights connected either via the Hue Bridge or Bluetooth, and it will also work with standard color ambiance and white ambiance bulbs, minus the gradient effect.
Signify
Meanwhile, the former Hue wake-up routines will be renamed “Fade to Bright,” and users of the mode will be able to upgrade to the new Sunrise automation by tapping the Edit button.
Alongside the Sunrise mode, Philips Hue announced a version of the Hue Signe gradient floor lamp with a new oak finish, available in mid-July for $349.99.
New Hue downlights
Upgraded versions of Philips Hue’s white ambiance and color ambiance downlights are set to go on sale starting today.
The third generation of the Hue White Ambiance downlight for 5-6 inch cans ($49.99, or $189.99 for a four-pack) now delivers up to 850 lumens, up from 750 lumens for the previous generation, while the second-gen Hue White and Color Ambiance downlight ($59.99, or $219.99 for a four-pack) puts out up to 1,100 lumens for the 5-6 inch version, up from 700 lumens.
Next-gen updates for the Hue White Ambiance and White and Color Ambiance downlights will also be available for 4-inch cans ($49.99 and $59.99 respectively), and they’re rated for up to 850 lumens, up from 650 lumens.
Philips Hue odds and ends
A new demo mode is coming to the Hue app that will let you virtually test a variety of Hue lighting products, including entertainment and “feel more secure” themes. The mode will be available from the Explore tab, and Hue says it will be regularly updated with new themes.
Finally, a modular, consumer-friendly Hue track lighting system is bound for overseas regions, but not for the U.S. market.
Signify
Available in black and white versions, the Hue Perifo includes one-meter tracks as well as snap-in spotlights, pendants, and even gradient light tubes, and it can be powered by either in-ceiling wiring or via a power outlet.
A Philips Hue rep confirmed that the Perifo won’t be released in the States.
Author: Ben Patterson, Senior Writer
Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he covers smart speakers, soundbars, and other smart and home-theater devices. You can follow Ben on Twitter.