Philips launches E14 Hue bulbs

I never thought I'd be talking passionately about lighting, but I hate E14 bulbs. Not only do most options have low power but the selection is limited as well -- at least when compared against E27 bulbs. With the launch of new Hue bulbs, however, Philips is trying to change that.

Referring to it as the "candle light bulb", the new smart E14 Hue lights that Philips just announced were "one of the most requested products by Philips Hue customers." And it's easy to understand why, as the Dutch company says that they're used in more than 80 percent of households worldwide.

"We’ve spent time ensuring it is of the highest quality and available in both white ambiance and white and color ambiance. It is an important next step to ensure seamless integration in all rooms, giving you the freedom to personalize lighting throughout your home," says Philips Lighting's business leader of Connected Home Systems, Sridhar Kumaraswamy.

In the E14 base, Hue bulbs promise an equivalent power of 40W, which equates to 470 lumen at a color temperature of 4000K. There are two options coming, color and white, both of which can work within 2200K and 6500K.

The Hue series "works seamlessly with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Nest, Samsung SmartThings as well as other smart home devices and wearables" and integrates with "over 600 apps," according to Philips.

Philips says that the new E14 Hue bulbs will be available in Europe starting in April, at a price of €34.95 per bulb, and in North America starting "later this year." To learn more about Hue bulbs, you can check the official site here.