Hue Is The Lightbulb For Apple Fanboys

Let’s take Apple fanboyism (or fangirlism, to cover both genders) to the next level, shall we? I’ve been accused of being one, mind you, and I really can’t be bothered. The truth is, Apple’s products are awesome, and I just don’t feel the need to switch brands just yet. However, I find a recently announced product, which seems to have nothing to do with phones, tablets, and computers, quite befuddling.

Hue light bulb

Enter Hue, which I am already envisioning to be a permanent fixture in many an Apple fan’s home.

Hue is nothing but a lightbulb. You know that thing that takes one or fifty people to change, depending on what their profession is? In the last days of October, “the world’s smartest LED bulb” – Hue – was launched exclusively in Apple Stores. It is made by Philips, although that may not matter to some people.

What’s so smart about it?

Okay, it’s an LED bulb, so it’s good for the environment. Plus points for that, especially after their EPEAT tussle. What makes Hue related to Apple somehow, though, is the fact that the lightbulb can be  controlled using whichever iDevice you always have in your hands.

Specs

On its own, Hue does have its merits. It has a brightness of 600 lumen and can match the luminosity of a 500-watt bulb. The great thing is that while it does all that, Hue only uses up about 80 percent of the power that regular bulbs do. Not only good for the environment, but also awesome for the pocket!

Price

However, you might balk a little at the price –  $199 for the starter pack, which contains three lightbulbs. If you want more bulbs – which you probably will unless you live in a one-room house – then you will have to shell out more at $59 per bulb!

Is that all?

Well, I guess we can focus more on how Hue is linked to Apple’s devices. There is an app, of course, that will be the command center of your Hue-based lighting system. Using the app, you can create light scenes/setups for each room, for different times of the day. You can also save them so you don’t have to do the configuration every time.

What I actually like is being able to change the colors of the light – from white to candlelight for example – with the same bulb. You can also set an alarm which will turn the lights on to wake you up.

So yes, there is something attractive about Hue, except that I don’t think I am quite ready to part with that much money. Are you?

[Image via Macgasm]