đ usncan Note: Massive Smart Home Upgrade Incoming
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The new Hue Bridge Pro has leaked ahead of its official release.
Hueblog / Signify
Signify hasnât updated the Philips Hue bridge in almost a decade, but the wait for a serious upgrade looks to be nearly over and, thanks to a series of leaks, weâve got a pretty clear picture of whatâs coming.
The Hue Bridge Pro popped up on Hueâs own website last week, before the page was swiftly yanked, but not before the guys at HueBlog grabbed the details.
To make matters even messier for Signify, someone in the US actually received the new hub as a Lowes tester and posted photos on Reddit, essentially confirming the leak weeks before the official launch, which will presumably be over Berlin at IFA next month.
The current Hue Bridge (2nd generation) has been the brains of the smart light system since 2015, and while it works, its limits are being stretched in homes with lots of Hue lights and gadgets, as it tops out at 50 lights and 12 accessories. Its setup also still requires a hardwired Ethernet connection to your router.
The new Bridge Pro looks set to fix all that.
According to HueBlogâs reporting, itâs packing a quad-core Cortex processor at 1.7GHz with 8GB of RAM; a laughably huge jump over the paltry 16MB in the existing bridge.
That translates to a promised five-times faster response time, support for 150 lights, 50 accessories, and up to 500 scenes. Power comes via USB-C now, and Wi-Fi connectivity means you wonât have to tether it to your router anymore (though Ethernet is still an option).
But the real headline feature is something Hue is calling MotionAware. Using the Bridge Pro and at least three Hue bulbs in a room, the system can apparently detect motion without needing dedicated sensors.
Itâs not totally clear yet how this tech works, but it may be based on Ivaniâs Sensify platform, which turns mains-powered Zigbee devices into motion detectors. Hueâs sister brand WiZ has been doing similar things with Wi-Fi bulbs, so this could finally bring that capability to Hueâs Zigbee ecosystem.
The bridge isnât launching alone. Hue also has a wired 2K video doorbell coming, plus a new generation of bulbs and outdoor lighting.
The updated A19/E26 bulb is more energy-efficient, sipping 40 percent less power and dimming down to a subtle 0.2 percent. It also supports Hueâs ChromaSync tech for tighter color matching across different fixtures. That same gradient magic will feature in a new family of indoor/outdoor light strips.
Hue is also said to be expanding its Festavia range with permanent outdoor lights meant to line your house and some rather stylish globe string lights with customizable gradient effects.
On the software side, Hue is also about to play nice with Sonos Voice Control. Youâll be able to ask your Sonos speakers to dim the lights, set scenes, or shift colors. Itâs not Alexa or Siri-level flexibility, but all the commands run locally, which should appeal to privacy-minded users.
As mentioned, Signify is set to officially unveil all this in Berlin at IFA 2025 early next month. Thereâs no word yet on what the Bridge Pro will cost, but given Hueâs track record, expect a premium price tag to match the premium specs.
Hue users have been crying out for a hub that can keep up with growing smart home setups. If MotionAware delivers on the promise of lights that double as sensors, the Bridge Pro could be the biggest Hue upgrade since it first went live back in 2012.
