Philips Hue unveils a major product refresh at IFA 2025, including a $99 Hue Bridge Pro, updated $25+ smart bulbs, and the $170 Hue Secure, its first doorbell
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge :
Context & Ripple Effects
Hue’s latest lineup extends a platform that has repeatedly adjusted the role of the hub: the 2015 Bridge 2.0 update brought HomeKit support to existing Hue hardware, while later Bluetooth bulbs enabled some use without a hub. The Bridge Pro makes the dedicated controller a premium tier again.
The doorbell also broadens a security effort that began with Hue Secure cameras with end-to-end encryption. That places lighting, control infrastructure, and an entry-point security device under the same Hue brand rather than treating bulbs as a standalone category.
First-order effects
- Hue customers gain a $99 Bridge Pro option, refreshed bulbs starting around $25, and a $170 Secure doorbell; buyers can now extend a Hue setup into front-door monitoring.
- Philips Hue adds another hardware category to Secure, giving its lighting installed base a direct path to buy security products from the same vendor.
Second-order effects
- The refresh increases the value of selling a connected Hue system rather than individual bulbs, potentially shifting purchase decisions toward bundles of lighting, hub, and security gear.
- Rival smart-home brands must compete across both low-cost device entry points and higher-value system control, rather than only on individual light or camera features.
Third-order effects
- If Hue continues to add security devices around its lighting base, the smart-home market could organize more around multi-device ecosystems whose hubs and apps shape repeat purchases.
- The premium hub’s return suggests that hub-free setup and centralized control can coexist as distinct product tiers, with vendors segmenting customers by the complexity of their homes.
The trend: This is one data point in the shift from single-purpose smart-home devices toward branded ecosystems that combine control hardware, lighting, and home security.