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After years of user complaints and mounting frustration with capacity limitations, Philips has finally delivered the Bridge Pro. Available now for £79.99, this upgraded control hub addresses the most significant bottleneck in the Hue ecosystem whilst introducing several genuinely useful new capabilities.
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Pricing
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philips Hue Bridge Pro, Smart Light Hub, Wireless, Advanced... | Buy on Amazon |
The Bridge Pro retails for £79.99, representing a £25 premium over the current bridge’s typical £55 price point. Considering the premium price point of Hue products, I think the Bridge Pro is quite reasonable, and people needing the extra capacity will view it as a bargain.
The current bridge’s 63-device limit has been a genuine bottleneck for many installations, and frankly, it’s about time Philips addressed this fundamental limitation. For small setups, you can still use Bluetooth to control most Hue products, but the Bridge is well worth the investment.
The device is available through Philips’ online store and major retailers, with various bundle packages planned to help reduce the effective cost when purchased with lights and accessories.
Capacity Improvements: The Main Event
The most significant upgrade addresses the device limit that has plagued users with larger installations. The Bridge Pro supports up to 150 lights and 50 accessories, compared to the current bridge’s hard limit of 63 devices total. This represents nearly triple the previous capacity and should eliminate the need for multiple bridges in most residential setups.
I currently run a couple of bridges across my installation, so consolidating to a single Pro unit would simplify management considerably whilst reducing network complexity. For users approaching or exceeding the 63-device limit, this upgrade isn’t just useful, it’s essential.
Hardware Specifications: A Generational Leap
The performance improvements are substantial and represent a complete architectural overhaul:
Processing Power:
- 1.7GHz quad-core Cortex-A35 CPU (Hue Chip Pro)
- Claims of 5x faster performance than current hardware
Memory and Storage:
- 8GB DDR4 SDRAM (up from the previous bridge’s modest 16MB)
- 8GB eMMC flash storage for firmware and scene storage
- Support for 500+ personalised scenes
These specifications represent a generational leap in capability. Response times should improve dramatically, and the expanded memory allows for significantly more complex automation routines and scene storage.
Power Consumption: Despite the upgraded internals, power consumption remains reasonable at just 0.1 watts in standby mode and peaks at 5 watts during operation. This efficiency is impressive considering the substantial hardware improvements.
Connectivity Enhancements
Wi-Fi Support: The Bridge Pro introduces Wi-Fi connectivity as an alternative to the traditional Ethernet connection. The Ethernet port remains available with cable included, but Wi-Fi capability adds deployment flexibility for locations where running cables proves problematic.
Power Delivery: Power delivery switches to USB-C, replacing the proprietary power adapter used by the current bridge. A dedicated power adapter with fixed cable is included, though the USB-C standard should make replacement adapters easier to source if needed.
MotionAware Technology: Genuinely Innovative
Perhaps the most intriguing new feature is MotionAware, which transforms standard Hue bulbs into motion sensors. The system requires at least three lights in a room to triangulate movement, effectively replacing dedicated motion sensors in many scenarios.
This capability could reduce the need for additional hardware whilst providing more granular presence detection. However, privacy-conscious users may have concerns about lights monitoring movement patterns, even if the processing occurs locally on the Bridge Pro.
The feature will initially be exclusive to the Bridge Pro and requires a Hue Secure subscription to unlock, though it’s unclear whether older bulbs will support the functionality or if newer models will be required. Similarly, it will be interesting to see if this works with third-party bulbs such as Paulmann Zigbee Filament & GU10 Smart Bulbs.
Enhanced Security and Future-Proofing
The Bridge Pro includes enhanced security controls using the new Zigbee Trust Center to prevent unauthorised access to your lighting network. This addresses growing concerns about smart home device security.
Matter support is confirmed, enabling compatibility with the emerging smart home standard. However, the integration appears limited to making Hue devices available to other Matter-compatible systems rather than allowing third-party Matter devices to be controlled through the Hue app.
Migration and Compatibility
Philips will provide a migration wizard to transfer existing setups from current bridges to the Pro model, mirroring the process used during the previous bridge upgrade cycle. The company is also reportedly working on a long-awaited backup function, though details remain scarce.
Support for combining multiple existing bridges into a single Bridge Pro is promised before the end of the year, a feature that will be particularly valuable for users like myself running multiple bridges.
Limitations and Disappointments
Entertainment Zone Restrictions: One area where improvements remain unclear is Hue Entertainment and Sync functionality. The current bridge supports only one sync session with a maximum of ten lights, and there’s no confirmation whether the Pro will expand these limits. Given the hardware improvements, expanded Entertainment zones would seem feasible, but Zigbee bandwidth constraints may still impose practical limitations regardless of the bridge’s processing power.
Range Unchanged: The wireless range remains unchanged from the current bridge, as all Hue devices create a mesh network that extends coverage through interconnected bulbs and accessories. The Bridge Pro doesn’t alter this fundamental architecture.
My Assessment
The Bridge Pro represents a solid, if overdue, upgrade for users approaching the current bridge’s device limits. The hardware improvements should deliver noticeably better performance, whilst MotionAware adds genuinely useful functionality that could reduce dependency on additional sensors.
The £80 price point sits in reasonable territory, and I’d argue the additional features are worth the price premium over the regular hub for anyone looking at starting to use Philips Hue products. For existing users with a small number of devices, it may not be worth spending an extra £80.
Bottom Line
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Philips Hue Bridge Pro, Smart Light Hub, Wireless, Advanced... | Buy on Amazon |
The Bridge Pro addresses the most significant complaints about Philips’ current offering whilst introducing genuinely useful new capabilities. The capacity increases alone justify the upgrade for users with extensive installations, whilst the performance improvements should benefit all users.
For users pushing the boundaries of the existing bridge, the Pro represents a logical and necessary upgrade. Those with smaller setups might want to wait for the inevitable price drops or bundle deals that typically follow Philips product launches.
The timing feels appropriate, arriving as smart home adoption continues growing and users demand more sophisticated automation capabilities. Whether the improvements justify the cost depends largely on your current setup’s complexity, but for serious Hue users, this upgrade has been a long time coming.
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
Last update on 2025-09-06 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
