If you are a techie with so many connected devices and appliances in your home, you will know that this setup will require a hub which acts as the communications center. Otherwise, you can still get away with just basic controls but you will not be able to leverage their full capabilities.
Sylvania is introducing a smart light bulb which does not need a hub for Siri to communicate with. This Bluetooth-enabled Sylvania Smart Multicolor A19 bulb could be controlled by Apple's HomeKit even without a hub. According to 1redDrop, simply sync the bulb via Bluetooth with the Home app on iOS devices, and you are good to go.
Sylvania is made by LEDVANCE which is a fully-owned subsidiary of OSRAM, one of the market leaders in commercial and consumer lighting solutions. Sylvania will allow you to set the lighting scene in your house including the schedule of lights-on and lights-off and to interact with other HomeKit-enabled devices. For example, you can set it up that when you say "Siri, I'm home," it will unlock the front door, turn on the lights in the specified rooms, and turn on the heating.
However, Bluetooth means limited range and interrupted connections since Sylvania bulb does not support Bluetooth 5. The longer-range standard is expected to come out next year. For now, the help of an iPad or Apple TV unit could be used to act as a hub if longer range is needed.
According to Engadget, it is not yet available and there is no mention of the pricing as of the moment but the Sylvania Smart Multicolor A19 bulb should be seen for sale on Amazon by early 2017. Sylvania also offers smart home kitchen, living room, home office, and outdoor lighting solutions.
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