And you thought Philips Hue lighting was expensive before…
Philips has announced a selection of new lighting options that take what many already considered premium pricing and rocket it into the stratosphere. The Philips Hue Luminaries are a collection of smartphone-controlled LED lamps featuring complex, 3D-printed designs. They sell on the low end for $3,500.
The lamps, designed by firms WertelOberfell and Strand+Hvass, are as much objects of art and attention as they are fully functional lighting sources. Let’s be real though: you are paying for the funky designs made possible, apparently, only by the advent of 3D printing. These designs are inspired by light in nature, such as the way photons glint off a bug’s compound eyes or the sun shimmers through spaces in a bare tree. Did we mention that pricing starts at $3,500?
We are convinced these lamps exist for primarily only one reason: to make the standard Philips Hue bulb seem cheap by comparison. We kid, but Philips did introduce a new, cheaper version of their standard LED bulb dubbed the Hue Lux. It more or less replicates the features of the last generation of Hue bulb, including the ability to turn on/off, change color, and program via either Philips official app or third-party apps like IFTTT. If, however, loading up an an app seems too difficult, Philips also announced a new wall-mounted switch dubbed the Hue Tap. The kinetic-powered switch needs no batteries or external power and can trigger up to four lighting presets.
The Hue Lux will retail for $40 for a bulb or $100 for a started kit that includes a WiFi hub (far cheaper than those Luminaries). The Tap is priced at $60. Both devices will be available later this year. Pre-orders for Hue Luminaries lamps begin March 31st.