When LIFX started their journey, the concept of a multi-coloured light globe that housed a WiFi module, controllable with your smart phone, was brand new. Fast forward a few years and the market is crowded and big competitors like Phillips Hue are now in the market. That hasn’t stopped LIFX from continuing to roll out new products.
The latest is the Color 1000 which builds on the original success with a smaller, more refined bulb. The new bulb offers a ridiculous 1000 shades of white and millions colours. I’m not sure I can tell the difference between between shade 625 and 626, but if you’re lighting an environment, like a home office you YouTube from, or take photos in, you may need the precision of this control to get your lighting exactly right.
Something else that’s new is the ability to control your lights with your voice thanks to Cortana integration in the new Windows 10 App. ‘Hey Cortana, tell LIFX to turn on the lights” is a very convenient way to interface with LIFX.
Or expand your connected home by joining your lights to your favorite smart devices and apps like the Google Nest, Logitech Harmony remote, IFTTT and SmartThings to create a truly immersive home experience.
I did experience some difficulties paring my phone with the Color 1000, issues I hadn’t seen with the original bulbs or the downlights. With this bulb removing a hardware reset switch, there really wasn’t an obvious way to reset the bulb. After doing some research I found a tutorial video that shows a sequence of on/off switching once ever second for 5 seconds, is the secret sauce to reset it. With that done, the connection worked and the bulb was controllable.
Recently LIFX has also recently updated their Android offering to include Widgets which provide quick and easy access to control bulbs. Previously the time to launch the app, wait for it to load, do a quick scan for available bulbs, then tap to control them has been longer than you’d ideally want. This widget access speeds things up and works great for the experience of turning off lights before heading out the door.
Because of its A19 size the Color 1000 fits more lamps and fittings than its predecessor, giving you more freedom to achieve your colorful DIY aspirations. Once such instance I found it better for is the heat lamp in our ensuite. The original worked, but due to its size, extended a long way outside the cover. The new Color 1000 still does, but fits much better.
At a price of $59.99 and 34% more energy efficient than the Original, the Color 1000 is the a great option for people who want a smart lighting expeirence. There’s also integrations with the Logitech Harmony remote, IFTTT and SmartThings to create a truly immersive home experience.
The LIFX Color 1000 is available at lifx.com and if you want at retail outlets like Harvey Norman.
