Review on Philips Hue Equivalent Dimmable Assistant by Ashley Webb

I really like Philips Hue White Smart Bulbs and would theoretically like to give them 5 stars. However, there is an unfortunate flaw at work. There are two different versions of this bulb - the 1st generation bulb (any bulb with a flat top is probably 1st generation) and the 2nd generation bulb. The 2nd generation lamp is almost perfect - it is much better regulated and gets brighter at maximum (840 lumens instead of 6xx lumens). It also consumes a maximum of 0.5W more power. They're easy to install, work well with the Hue app and switches, and are reliable (I've been using them for 2-3 years now). However, there are a few annoying potential issues. First possible mistake: Philips is very evasive in explaining how to distinguish a 1st generation lightbulb from a 2nd generation lightbulb. There are several "model numbers" and serial numbers, as well as several third-party websites trying to clarify which is which and how to physically tell the bulbs apart. The information is contradictory. The only way to know for sure, as far as I can tell, is to install it and see if it dims pretty low and then puts out some extra brightness, and maybe set a KillaWatt meter to max brightness to see if it goes anything over 9 Di For my purposes I prefer and need 2nd gen bulbs and am very annoyed that Philips is making this so difficult. Also, there are several similar bulbs out there, and it's pretty easy to order a color-changing bulb or a bulb that can change its Kelvin rating via the app (such bulbs are called "what AMBIANCE" bulbs) instead of one simple white light bulb (which has a fixed temperature). 2700 Kelvin, warm, comfortable light, suitable for late nights). The second problem is in fact not Philips' fault. This is Alexa. Alexa very awkwardly inherits all the settings from the Philips Hue app (called "Skill" in Alexa's words). Google mini and Google Home Hub work much better. The problem is most noticeable when upgrading lamps, as I am currently doing (from 1st gen to 2nd gen). New updates should be treated like brand new lights, and old lights should be carefully removed everywhere (Phillips app, Google Home app, and Alexa app) before new ones are installed. Rooms need to be reconfigured, etc. It's all very cumbersome and tedious, especially when you have apps on multiple phones and multiple tablets. These companies need to get better by working together. But due to the above issues I would give these beautiful bulbs 5 stars. If you order from this particular store, you will get 2nd generation white smart bulbs. At least that's how I did it last time. But you won't know for sure until you plug them in and see how they behave. Shame on Phillips. It looks like they're trying to reset their old inventory and don't want people worrying about which version of the smart lightbulb they have. This is very offensive to their customers as a strategy.