Philips Hue Essential Starter Kit Hits New Low Price of $79.99

Although most of Prime Day's unusually good Philips Hue deals have ended, a few remain, and some, including the black Philips Hue Twilight Sleep and Wake-Up Light, are even cheaper. None, however, have fallen to a new all-time low price like Philips Hue's Essential starter kit. Right now, you can buy a bundle containing four white and color E26 bulbs and a Hue Bridge for $79.99 ($40 off) at Amazon.

Since that's the same price as the two-bulb Essential starter kit, it's like getting two bulbs for free. Each of the color-changing bulbs can display millions of colors or tunable white light ranging from a warm 2200K to a cooler 6500K, while producing up to 800 lumens of brightness. The Hue app also offers preset lighting scenes for everything from movie nights to the holidays, though you can also create your own.

Meanwhile, the included Hue Bridge lets you control the lights when you're away from home, create schedules, connect up to 50 lights throughout your home, and set automations so they can, for instance, turn on automatically when you arrive home. It also allows you to control the lights through all the major smart home platforms, thanks to Matter compatibility. As Philips Hue budget-friendly kits, there are a few premium features they lack that are worth mentioning.

The bulbs only dim to two percent instead of 0.2 percent. Philips Hue also doesn't guarantee they'll match the color accuracy of its flagship bulbs across generations. If you're simply looking to fill your home with colorful smart lighting at a reasonable price, though, those differences may not matter much to you.

The Philips Hue Essential starter kit's new low price of $79.99 makes it an attractive option for those looking to upgrade their home lighting without breaking the bank. With the ability to control the lights remotely, create custom scenes, and integrate with major smart home platforms, this kit offers a robust smart lighting experience at a fraction of the cost of more premium options. As smart home technology continues to advance, affordable and feature-rich options like the Philips Hue Essential starter kit will likely play a significant role in driving adoption and innovation in the industry.

For developers and businesses, this could mean new opportunities for integration and innovation, while consumers will benefit from increased competition and choice in the smart home market. However, questions remain about the long-term compatibility and interoperability of these devices, and whether they can keep pace with evolving standards and technologies.