Philips Hue rumor suggests four smart home cameras on the way

By Wes Davis, a weekend editor who covers the latest in tech and entertainment. He has written news, reviews, and more as a tech journalist since 2020.

Philips Hue is making a move on the smart home security world with plans to debut four cameras in the near future, according to Hueblog.com, which has reported reliable smart home leaks in the past (via SmartApfel.com). The Hue line will also introduce a new door and window contact sensor, according to the report.

The article, which was written in German and translated by Google Translate, named the four cameras in English:

Yesterday, the same blog reported that Eric Rondolat, CEO of Philips Hue parent company Signify, said on an investor call that at least one new camera is coming and that Hue’s cameras will be end-to-end encrypted. That’s significant, as end-to-end encryption is all too rare in smart home cameras. Signify also owns Wiz, which has its own camera with that type of encryption, so its inclusion in Hue cameras isn’t surprising.

Philips Hue often drops new products at the IFA consumer electronics trade show, so it’s possible we’ll learn more, including whether they’re coming to the US, if the cameras are debuted at the show in September.

The rumor doesn’t indicate whether these new Hue cameras would support Apple’s privacy-forward HomeKit Secure Video feature, but the brand has long been a big part of Apple’s smart home ecosystem.

In addition to the cameras, Hueblog reports that the company will release door and window sensors, called the Hue contact sensor, also in black and white. The rumor claims the company will release them in single and double packs, for €39.95 (about $43.71 USD) and €69.95 (about $76.54 USD), respectively.

Finally, Hueblog wrote that the company is releasing new 12-volt spotlight bulbs with GU5.3 sockets, both in Hue white ambiance and Hue white and color ambiance variants and a twice as long as before 500-bulb version of the Hue Festavia string lights our own Jennifer Pattison Tuohy thought were great but a little pricey (bad news there — Hueblog also says the 250-bulb model will cost even more this time around).

And of course, these are all rumors, and Hue hasn’t announced any of these products or their prices yet, so take this with a healthy grain of salt.

/ Sign up for Verge Deals to get deals on products we've tested sent to your inbox daily.