Philips Hue bulbs will add simultaneous Thread and Zigbee support
An update will let newer Hue lights connect directly to Matter platforms while staying tied to the Hue Bridge.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
Philips Hue is preparing an update that will let its newer Matter-over-Thread smart lights use Thread and Zigbee at the same time, the company announced. The change matters for smart-home users because compatible Hue bulbs and fixtures will be able to connect directly to Matter systems such as Apple Home, Amazon Alexa and Google Home while also remaining part of the Hue Bridge setup.
The Verge reported that the affected products are Hue’s latest Thread-capable bulbs and fixtures. Those devices currently force users to pick between Zigbee and Thread when they set them up, according to Philips Hue chief technology officer George Yianni.
Yianni told The Verge that today’s setup does not allow Zigbee and Thread to run concurrently. If a user wants to move from one protocol to the other after setup, he said, the device has to be reset.
The coming change is designed to remove that either-or choice. Yianni told The Verge that a light could be connected to a Hue Bridge or Hue remote while also belonging to a Thread network, with the light receiving commands from both.
What changes for Hue users
According to Philips Hue’s announcement, the update applies to the company’s Matter-over-Thread-enabled smart bulbs. Matter is the smart-home standard used by major platforms including Apple, Amazon and Google, while Thread is one of the networking technologies Matter devices can use.
Hue has long used Zigbee for its Bridge-based lighting system. With the update, compatible lights can keep that Hue ecosystem connection while also linking directly into a Matter platform over Thread, according to The Verge’s report.
That could make setup and control less restrictive for households that use both the Hue app or accessories and a broader Matter system. Philips Hue has not said in the available announcement when the update will arrive beyond describing it as upcoming.
Silicon Labs technology enables the upgrade
The Verge reported that the upgrade relies on a Silicon Labs radio synchronization feature called concurrent multiprotocol technology, or CMP. Silicon Labs supplies chips used in the newer Hue bulbs, according to the report.
CMP allows Bluetooth, Zigbee and Thread to operate in parallel, The Verge reported. In Hue’s case, that means the same light can listen for commands from both the Hue side and the Thread network without requiring a user to change modes, according to Yianni.
The Verge also noted that other dual-protocol smart-home products, including devices from Aqara and Ikea, face similar limits today. Ikea’s newer Matter-over-Thread devices can also use Zigbee’s Touchlink feature, according to the report, but the broader issue remains that devices generally do not run both full connections at once.
For Hue, the update is a technical change with a practical effect: owners of compatible lights should be able to keep the benefits of Hue’s Bridge-based system while adding direct Thread-based Matter control in Apple Home, Alexa or Google Home.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.