Hue to Introduce New E17 Bulb to Japanese Consumers

Philips Hue, who launched in Japan back in 2013 is for the first time introducing an E17 size Smart bulb for Japanese consumers. Although this specific Edison size isn’t really known or used by customers in the west, the E17 bulb accounts for 30% of all bulbs for residential properties in Japan.

These bulbs are generally used in areas like stairways, entrances and washrooms. Introducing a smart and dimmable bulb for this class of light will open up a lot more possibilities for Japanese consumers for the first time.

Whilst the bulb is capable of dimming, the only option available for this bulb presently is the basic ‘warm white’, with no information on whether a ‘White Ambiance’ or even ‘White & Colour Ambiance’ bulb is on the cards. It would also seem, at least from the packaging, that this new bulb isn’t a part of the update schedule to include Bluetooth functionality to the new Hue lineup.

The bulb is capable of the equivalent of a 5.5w bulb, providing 470lm at 2700K, and is suitable for 100-240v systems, which is a departure from the norm for previous Hue bulbs, which were either labelled only 110-120v or 220-240v. The lifespan is the standard 25,000 hours, with the bulb weighing 62g and dimensions of 85mm (H) by 39mm (W).

Preorders are available at relevant online stores now, with availability to buy from September 27th.

Thanks to Youichi Kusakabe of the Facebook group Philips Hue LED & HomeKit for finding this news item.