It has been a lot quieter than usual when it comes to Hue products, but as we rapidly approach July, a few products have finally started to emerge. As reported by the German website digitalzimmer.de, Philips Hue has a brand new Tap wireless button coming soon, that’s a total redesign of the original ‘Tap’ that was discontinued a while ago.
As was the case with the original model, the new Tap uses EnOcean technology to generate enough kinetic power for sending signals via Zigbee to the Hue Bridge. Also, like its predecessor, the new model features four programmable buttons, although in this case, the buttons are equally set out, like four slices of a cake… (or Pizza). The new model can be wall-mounted and comes with a square plate that should match the size of your regular switches (for European homes only). As with practically all Hue products, this is also exposed to HomeKit, with single presses for each button exposed.
Perhaps just as surprising, is a new lamp labelled the Philips Hue Go Portable Table Lamp. The ‘Go’ part of the name is due to the lamp containing a rechargeable battery, just like the original Hue Go. In this case, the lamp carries an IP54 rating, so it’s suitable for outdoor use for certain periods of time, so outdoor dining would be a perfect use case for such a lamp. Additionally, certain animated light effects can be triggered from the built-in button. According to digitalzimmer, the price is practically double that of the original Hue Go, at around €150.
In addition to the above, Hue will also be introducing a new track lighting system named Perifo that will allow all manner of new spot lights and track lights to magnetically connect to the rail at a location of your choice. Finally, the Hue Signe floor lamps are being given a facelift, with oak finishes for the base of both the table and floor models.