Philips Hue owners no longer have to pick a side in the smart home protocol wars. Signify, the company behind Philips Hue, has partnered with Silicon Labs to bring Thread and Matter connectivity to its smart bulbs, ending the forced choice between Zigbee and the newer Matter standard. This move signals a major step toward true smart home interoperability.
Signify announced the collaboration with Silicon Labs, a leader in wireless connectivity solutions, to integrate Thread and Matter support directly into future Philips Hue bulbs. For years, Hue users had to commit to either the proprietary Zigbee bridge or adopt Matter-compatible hubs, creating fragmentation in smart home setups. Now, by embedding both protocols, Signify eliminates that trade-off, allowing bulbs to work seamlessly with any Matter-compatible platform—Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa—while retaining backward compatibility with existing Zigbee systems.
Why now? The Matter standard, launched in late 2022 by the Connectivity Standards Alliance, promised a unified smart home language but initially required manufacturers to choose a radio protocol. Many early Matter devices relied on Wi-Fi or Thread, but Philips Hue stuck with Zigbee. Consumer frustration mounted as users wanted the simplicity of Matter without abandoning their existing Hue installations. Signify's partnership with Silicon Labs addresses this head-on by leveraging Silicon Labs' Series 2 and Series 3 chips, which support both Zigbee and Thread natively.
Key details: Signify will use Silicon Labs' MG24 and MG26 multiprotocol wireless SoCs, enabling dynamic switching between Zigbee and Thread radios. This hardware upgrade means future Philips Hue bulbs will automatically negotiate the best protocol for the network without user intervention. The new bulbs are expected to hit the market in early 2027, though no firm date was given. Existing Hue bulbs will not receive the upgrade—only new purchases will benefit from the dual-protocol support. However, the existing Hue Bridge will continue to work, and users can mix old and new bulbs via the Matter bridge integration.
Industry analysts see this as a watershed moment for Matter adoption. "Signify's move proves that Matter can coexist with legacy protocols without sacrificing performance," said a smart home analyst. The partnership also validates Silicon Labs' multiprotocol chip strategy, which rivals Broadcom and NXP. For consumers, it means future-proofing: they can buy a Philips Hue bulb today and be confident it will work in whatever smart home ecosystem evolves.
What happens next? Expect other lighting and device makers to follow Signify's lead, embedding Thread/Zigbee combo radios. The smart home industry is converging on a single, universal connectivity layer—and Philips Hue's Matter support is a crucial milestone. The first dual-protocol bulbs will likely debut at CES 2027, and early adopters will finally enjoy the 'set it and forget it' promise of Matter.
Technology
↑ Positive
Philips Hue Bulbs No Longer Force You To Choose Between Zigbee And Matter
Signify teams up with Silicon Labs for a Thread and Matter connectivity upgrade.
Paul Lamkin, Contributor
Forbes
3 min read
7/10
Key Takeaways
- Signify partnered with Silicon Labs to integrate Thread and Matter into future Philips Hue bulbs, ending the forced choice between Zigbee and Matter.
- The new bulbs will use Silicon Labs' MG24 and MG26 multiprotocol wireless SoCs, supporting both Zigbee and Thread radios natively.
- Existing Hue bulbs and the Hue Bridge remain compatible; new bulbs will auto-select the best protocol for the network.
- Industry analysts view this as a major boost for Matter adoption, potentially influencing other smart home device makers.
- Dual-protocol bulbs are expected to launch in early 2027, with a probable debut at CES 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
Signify, the parent company of Philips Hue, is partnering with Silicon Labs to integrate Thread and Matter connectivity into future Hue smart bulbs. This allows the bulbs to support both Zigbee and Matter protocols, eliminating the need for consumers to choose between them.
Thread is a low-power, mesh networking protocol that enables direct communication between smart home devices without requiring a hub. By adding Thread support, Philips Hue bulbs can connect directly to Matter-compatible platforms like Apple Home and Google Home, improving reliability and reducing latency.
No, the upgrade applies only to new Philips Hue bulbs that feature the Silicon Labs multiprotocol chips. Existing bulbs will continue to work via the Hue Bridge, which already supports Matter via bridge integration, but they will not gain native Thread or Matter capabilities.
If you buy the new dual-protocol Philips Hue bulbs, you can use them directly with a Matter-compatible hub (e.g., Apple HomePod, Amazon Echo) without a Hue Bridge. However, you can still use the Hue Bridge with older bulbs; the system will automatically negotiate connectivity.
Signify is the global lighting company that owns the Philips Hue brand. In this partnership, Signify integrates Silicon Labs' wireless chips into its smart bulbs to add Thread and Matter support.
Signify has not announced an exact release date, but industry sources expect the first dual-protocol Philips Hue bulbs to launch in early 2027, likely debuting at CES 2027.
Topics
Original source
www.forbes.com
Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to post a comment or reply.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!