IKEA recently released its own line of Wi-Fi enabled smart lighting called Trådfri. While a great value—prices start at just £15/$20 for a bulb and dimmer—the Trådfri range was limited to use with the Swedish furniture retailer's own app and hardware remotes.
Now, IKEA is bringing Trådfri up to speed with the competition by adding support for voice control via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri. Voice functionality will trickle out across the range starting this summer and running through to autumn. The update makes Trådfri one of the most affordable smart lighting solutions available.
Individual bulbs retail between £9/$12 and £12/$18, with the Wi-Fi hub costing £25/$30. A bundle of bulb and dimmer switch costs £15/$20, while a bundle of bulb and motion sensor costs £25/$25. By contrast, similar Philips Hue bulbs sell for £15/$15, and a motion sensor costs £35/$35 without an included bulb. The Philips Hue starter kit does come in cheaper at £60/$70, but the £70/$80 Trådfri "Gateway kit" contains two bulbs, a Wi-Fi hub, plus an extra remote.
The downside to Trådfri is that only white bulbs (with a variable colour temperature) are available. RGB Philips Hue bulbs allow for all manner of different colours, albeit at a far higher price. A starter kit with three colour-changing bulbs sells for £150/$150.
IKEA's launch of digital assistant support in Trådfri follows a raft of updates to assistant tech. Google added new features to Google Home at I/O, including hands-free calling and improved music playback. Amazon announced the Echo Show, a $230 Alexa-powered touchscreen speaker, as well as the Echo Look, which evaluates a customer's outfits via a camera and suggests new styles.
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