How To Set Up C By Ge

c-by-ge-direct-connect-promo — GE Lighting'due south newest smart bulbs and light strips are a relatively inexpensive new option that supports Alexa and Google Banana voice controls.
GE Lighting

GE Lighting is sending a new generation of C by GE LED smart bulbs to the lighting aisle -- and with Wi-Fi radios built into each one, you'll no longer demand a separate, plug-in hub accompaniment in guild to command them from exterior your home or pair them with a vox banana.

Branded as C past GE Direct Connect smart lights, the new lineup includes automatable white calorie-free bulbs for $13 each, tunable white calorie-free bulbs for $18 each, full-color RGB bulbs for $25 each, and a color-changing light strip that costs $60. Forth with Wi-Fi, each one includes Bluetooth for local control and pairing, and each supports voice control via Alexa or Google Assistant, no additional hub necessary. All are available for preorder now, with a release date gear up for Nov. 15.

That pricing falls correct in line with other budget-minded smart lights from names similar Wyze and Sylvania, all of which cost a little less than the top brands. For example, at $25, GE Lighting'south colour-changing Direct Connect bulb costs $20 less than the Lifx Color smart bulb, while the 80-inch Direct Connect Lite Strip costs $20 less than the 80-inch Philips Hue Light Strip Plus.

c-by-ge-direct-connect-lightstrip-2 — The new 80-inch C past GE light strip costs $twenty less than a strip of the same size from Philips Hue.
GE Lighting

That said, our top color-changing value pick in the smart lighting category is the Philips Wiz Continued LED, an RGB Wi-Fi bulb that supports hub-gratuitous Alexa and Google Assistant vox controls for just $xiii each. I'll update this space one time I've had a chance to test the new nine.5W, 800-lumen C by GE bulbs to see how they compare with that ane.

1 other point of note -- the new GE bulbs and low-cal strip don't support Apple HomeKit, or the Siri voice controls that come up with it. Previously, you could connect C by GE bulbs with the C-Reach plug-in hub to bring them on board with HomeKit, but that won't work with this new generation. Distressing, Siri fans.

Meanwhile, the new lights should proceed to be solid picks for fans of Google Assistant. GE Lighting is a Fabricated for Google partner, and you tin can pair C past GE lights with Google Assistant straight from the Google Home app.

Originally published October. xix.
Update, Oct. 22: GE now clarifies that the new bulbs will no longer work with the C-Reach plug-in hub, which means you won't exist able to connect them with Apple HomeKit, or with Siri. This mail service has been updated accordingly.