Nanoleaf is challenging Philips Hue with its army of smart home innovations
Nanoleaf, the brand behind the popular geometric modular lamp, has just enriched its catalog with a series of new products for the connected home. With smart switches and customizable ceiling light, the brand is trying to dethrone the mainstream Philips Hue.
Nanoleaf took advantage of CES 2023 to lift the veil on many new connected objects. Asked by The Verge, he says he wants a Canadian brand ” the advancement of smart lighting into intelligence ». In fact, put Nanoleaf focus on automation and interactions between the various objects in its directory.
With that in mind, all of the new products announced are compatible with Matter, the new standard that promises to unify all connected home devices. The protocol-compliant object works with HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Home or Samsung SmartThings, as well as with all other Matter accessories.
The icing on the cake, Nanoleaf is loyal Place Matter in accessories already on the market. The Forms, Elements, Canvas and Line ranges will be available by the end of the current year. No need to recheck to update.
Also read: The best starter for Matter, the standard that wants to revolutionize the connected home
Infinitely customizable ceiling light
Announced by an affiliated lighting specialist in Las Vegas Nanoleaf Skylight, modular ceiling light. Consisting of several LED panels, it uses the principle of the popular wall panels, one of Nanoleaf’s first products. The accessory works exactly the same way.
With Skylight, you can place the ceiling light of your dreams in a rectangular or square shape or, for example, in the shape of a letter. Everything is possible. You can place countless panels in the rooms that need the most lighting, such as the kitchen or dining room, and settle for a few elements for more intimate spaces, such as the bedroom.
Nanoleaf said the ceiling light can produce more than 16 million different colors maximum brightness 3000 lumens. Not surprisingly, it’s easy to adjust the intensity or color via an app, connected switch or smart speaker.
The ceiling light can be used as a bridge according to Article and will come out In the third quarter of 2023. Two starter sets are provided: one with two squares, the other with four panels. The price has not been announced yet, but we can expect a high price. For example, the Canvas starter pack, which uses the idea of light panels, is sold for 99 euros. It includes four LED squares.
Smart switches are… really smart
Another major addition to the brand’s catalog: the Nanoleaf Sense+. It’s a connected switch that lets you control your lights the old-fashioned way by pressing a mechanical button. Several well-known brands such as Eve and Philips Hue already market equivalent solutions that replace the traditional switch.
The ambitious Nanoleaf wants to go further by offering a system that canautomate everyday actions observing your habits. For example, the system can automatically dim the light in your living room after a certain time or when another home automation object is on or off. If you turn on all the lights in your kitchen at 6pm every evening, an automatic program will take care of it for you.
“The more contact you have with the revealers, the higher the level of credibility”says Nanoleaf CEO Jimmy Chu.
Note that your connected home will not apply automatic settings to you without your consent. Before automating any lighting adjustments, the Nanoleaf software will offer automation for you.
We find the same logic in Apple’s Home app. Within the interface, smart automations are offered to the user based on your usage. On paper, Nanoleaf’s solution isn’t much different from Apple’s. Nevertheless, the ecosystem wants to do well thanks to the subtlety of recommendations. In particular, Nanoleaf plans to adapt to the movements of residents inside the home thanks to motion detectors and other lights. The new Nanoleaf accessories are also equipped with infrared motion and light sensors.
Nanoleaf relies on it to make its lighting devices smart Nala Learning Bridge, a bridge that allows all accessories to communicate with each other. It is this element that is presented as a smart assistant and will control the entire connected home and offer automation.
Nanoleaf offers a wireless switch that can be detached from the wall and used as a remote control, and a switch designed to stay stationary. The bridge and keys will also be released in the third quarter of next year. The brand mentions prices around $20 for the Sense+ and $50 for the Nala Learning Bridge.
An alternative to Philips Ambilight technology
Finally, Nanoleaf continues to tread on the toes of rival Philips Hue. The firm actually delivered Nanoleaf 4D TV set, a product similar to Philips Hue Play that serves as an alternative to Ambilight. In both cases, the accessory allows you to adjust the ambient light to match the images displayed on your TV screen.
It takes the form of a light strip that will be placed behind the TV and a small camera that tracks movements on the screen. This camera is connected to a small hidden box. The LED strip hidden on the back of the TV is 5 meters long and offers 50 different lighting zones to best reproduce the atmosphere of your movies and series. As with Philips, all other Nanoleaf products can be linked together to create a great immersive experience with your lighting. You can install several Lines wall panels behind your TV.
The kit will come in two sizes depending on the size of your TV. Nanoleaf will offer a package for 55-65-inch TVs and 70-80-inch TVs. The starting price for the exit should be around $100 In the second quarter of 2023.
At CES 2023, Nanoleaf also announced the arrival of more anecdotal products, such as a new range of E27 or GU10 bulbs, bright adhesive tapes and globes.
Source:
The Verge
