New LIFX Lights and LIFX Switch Announced for 2019
Buddy Technologies Limited, a leader in IoT and cloud-based solutions for making spaces smarter, is pleased to announce that following considerable research & development effort, it will finalise the release of four new lights from LIFX – two LIFX filament-style feature bulbs, a new tunable white LIFX Candle bulb and LIFX Z-TV light strip, as well as a new product from the Buddy Commercial Team – LIFX Switch.
The new LIFX “filament” range represents the world’s first vintage Edison-type smart lights. These lights address customer demand for feature lighting that pairs with modern fixtures where the bulb is intended to be visible and forms part of the appeal of that fixture. These are particularly common in pendant lighting fixtures, and outside of a home environment are increasingly found in retail and hospitality/restaurant environments. These filament-style bulbs are built upon the same technology platform as the rest of the LIFX range and support all voice assistants, cloud connectivity and remote on/off and dimming functionality.
LIFX Candle White to Warm will join the previously announced LIFX Candle Colour as a tunable white model in the Candle range. Using the LIFX mobile app or any of the popular voice assistants to adjust the light from the same cool white to warm white of the LIFX Mini Day & Dusk product, LIFX Candle White to Warm retail availability is targeted for early 2020.
LIFX Z-TV is a new feature lighting product that addresses customer demand for fit-for-purpose television backlighting. One of the most popular uses of the LIFX Z Strip product is placement behind TVs to provide an attractive glow around the TV. Not only does this reduce eye strain when watching TV but can enhance the viewing experience. LIFX Z-TV is the perfect length for easy non-bending application to the back of most popular home theatre TV sizes (46” and above). The Z-TV range is expected to grow in 2020 to include at least two more variants for specific screen applications.
LIFX Switch represents the first product in an entirely new category for Buddy Technologies. Developed by the Buddy Commercial team, fully Buddy Ohm compatible and built upon the LIFX Control Module platform (and so it will work natively with LIFX’s mobile application and all voice platforms), LIFX Switch is a four-gang (ie: four switched circuits) internet-connected light switch targeted to be amongst the most affordable, fully-featured wired-in smart switches on the market.
Each button on LIFX Switch can be configured to switch either a live electrical circuit (in the case of non-smart lights) or be a “soft switch” which can control a single light, a scene, a group of lights or even a combination of multiple smart home device functionality (ie: turn off the lights, shut the garage door and lock the front door). To help identify each button’s functionality, the four buttons on LIFX Switch can be custom configured to be backlit with any colour the user desires. LIFX Switch will be offered in both light and dark colour combinations.
As smart home technologies become more prevalent in the market, and especially as consumers begin switching their non-smart lights to smart lights, having a smart switching solution that can be affordably deployed in every room will become vital. Rather than competing with high end, $300+ products, LIFX Switch is designed to be as easy to use as a regular light switch, and whole-house affordable too.
LIFX Switch will enable consumers to make their non-smart lights controllable via mobile app or voice assistants, and all LIFX scheduling functionality will be available to all lights controlled by the switch (whether smart or not). Importantly for the commercial market, LIFX Switch will be a first-class Buddy Ohm sensor, meaning all circuits controlled by the product will also have their energy consumption data piped into Buddy Ohm’s energy monitoring and auditing platform. This will bolster the application of LIFX Switch into commercial environments and provides the first mechanism to support control of energy consumption in a building via Buddy Ohm (control is not expected to be publicly available before 2020).
“We’re thrilled to bring LIFX Switch to market and in so doing, deliver a new sensor platform for Buddy Ohm while bringing to market what we believe is most important for mainstream consumers – a smart switch that looks, feels and works like a regular switch,” said Travis Gerber, CEO of Buddy’s Commercial Business. “This product brings together the best of Buddy’s consumer and commercial businesses and demonstrates to third party customers the market potential of having our Managed Services team deploy the LIFX Control Module platform into their products too”.
The Company intends to conduct marketing launches for these products over the coming months, starting in early September at the Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin (IFA) trade show. Further details on retail availability and pricing will be disclosed subsequently. The Company will keep the market apprised by way of further ASX announcements in the future.
*Press Release*
