Philip hue has announced a new in-wall switch module that works with the company’s Hue bridge to allow direct control of your lighting once placed behind – and wired to – your own wall switches. The company themselves describe the switch thus;
The new Philips Hue wall switch module is the ideal addition to any Philips Hue set up. Installed behind existing light switches, it allows users to turn their existing switch into a smart switch and ensures their smart lighting is always reachable. Whether it is via the app or via voice control: no more getting up from the couch to turn on the switches that a family member or house guest might have turned off. Additionally, in the Hue app you can simply select light scenes and customize how the switch functions to personalize the ambiance even more. The Philips Hue wall switch module is battery powered and has a minimum battery life of at least five years.
So in effect, it would seem that whilst this is a standard relay in practice, much like the Aqara relay, for example, it is also designed to control your Hue Bulbs, allowing you to activate specific scenes that you may already have programmed into your Hue app.
No word on pricing as yet, and looking at the design of the module, it would appear it is designed for European style switch recesses.
The company have also officially announced an update to the Wireless Dimmer Switch that has been a staple of Hue users for many years, with a slightly newer and more minimalist design. When we get a chance to try one out, we’ll be posting a review of the product.