Four smartphone-controlled lighting options

The home is getting smarter and smarter with not only appliances such as washing machines embracing smartphone functionality, but heating and lighting also getting on board.

The ways in which to make your home smarter are growing rapidly but with LG announcing its Smart Bulb this week, we have taken the opportunity to round up a few of the lighting options available and on their way.

LG Smart Bulb – £TBC

LG announced its Smart Bulb at the beginning of this week and although it is only available in South Korea at the moment, if it arrives in the UK, it could make for a very interesting addition to any house.

The Smart Bulb is controlled using an Android or iOS device and is low wattage, said to run for more than 10 years when they are used for around five hours a day.

It comes with ‘LG Smart Lighting’ that offers a variety of modes including security mode to make it appear like you are home when you aren’t, a flashing mode for when you are playing music and another flashing mode to alert you when you are receiving a phone call on your handset.

Philips Hue – £180 (starter pack)

The Philips Hue starter pack comes with three light bulbs, a wireless control base and a smartphone or tablet app, all of which will cost you £180 and then £50 per bulb thereafter.

The wireless system has been around for a while and it allows you to pick and choose the colour, brightness levels and time the LED bulbs should switch on and off, all through your mobile device.

You can control up to 50 bulbs in total and you can also program specific times when the bulb should switch on, as well as dimming or increasing the brightness to suit the mood.

Belkin WeMo Smart LED bulb – £100 (starter pack)

Belkin has a range of WeMo connected devices including the WeMo Smart LED Bulbs and the WeMo Light Switch.

The WeMo Smart LED Bulbs are 60-watt equivalent and can be controlled via an iPhone or Android device, allowing you to dim your lights quickly and easily or simply turn them off when you aren’t at home.

Belkin claims the bulbs will last for up to 23 years and the starter pack, which includes a WeMo LED Bulb, LED Lighting Starter Set, another bulb and a WeMo Link for control of up to 50 bulbs, will cost £100. One bulb will cost £30 on its own.

Holi Smart Mood Lamp – £180

The Holi Smart Mood Lamp works in a slightly different way to the others on this list and although still controlled via a smartphone, it is only iOS compatible at the moment but an Android app is on the way.

The Lamp uses light to affect your mood and comes complete with an app that will give you full control of the lighting system.

You will be able to enhance a dull wall with its glow, shift colours in times with your music, turn it into a posh photo frame or use it to wake you up.

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Four smartphone-controlled lighting options