Cync launches new “Dynamic Effects” bulbs, panels, and lightweight strips

GE Lighting introduced an enormous enlargement of its good lighting model Cync’s Dynamic Effects line this week. The new entertainment-themed merchandise place Cync much more squarely as a less expensive Philips Hue and Nanoleaf competitor. 

New hexagon wall panels, neon-style rope lights that may be formed how you want, and A19 and BR30 bulbs be part of the full-color gradient indoor and outdoor light strips Cync launched late last year, that are round $40 cheaper than comparable Hue variations.

All Dynamic Effects merchandise can show 16 million colours, tunable white gentle, and preset and customized lighting results just like Hue and Nanoleaf merchandise. The LEDs are addressable and might show a number of colours concurrently — even the A19 and BR30 bulbs, which might present as much as 4 colours directly. 

According to GE Lighting, the brand new merchandise all have on-device music syncing and tunable white gentle along with the complete spectrum of colour. They’re because of launch in March 2023 and can begin at $19.99 for the A19 Aline bulb and $26.99 for the indoor floodlights and go as much as $199.99 for a 10-pack of the Hexagon Panel Lights. Those will even are available a seven-pack for $169.99, which is round $30 lower than Nanoleaf’s starter pack of seven panels. The Neon Rope lights will price $79.99 for 10 inches and $119.99 for 16 inches.

The firm additionally introduced its $12.50 A19 Cync Full Color Direct Connect Smart Bulb and $15 Cync Indoor Smart Plug would be the first so as to add help for Matter, permitting them to work with any Matter-compatible good dwelling platform or machine, with extra merchandise coming later in 2023.

However, GE Lighting additionally stated earlier merchandise received’t be getting up to date to the brand new interoperability good dwelling normal. Instead, they’ll be releasing new merchandise with Matter help over the following 12 months, that means these newly introduced Dynamic Effects merchandise received’t work with Matter.

Cync’s merchandise work over Wi-Fi and BLE Mesh and don’t require a bridge or hub. They are managed by the Cync app, powered by Savant — which purchased GE Lighting in 2020.  Competitor Hue makes use of Zigbee and Bluetooth with a bridge whereas Nanoleaf works over Thread and Wi-Fi, and each have absolutely dedicated to Matter.

Cync additionally has a brand new slimline Cync Reveal HD Plus Full Color Wafer Downlights coming in Q3 2023 (no pricing but), which provides a “whiter white” possibility for recessed lighting and a slimmer profile. There is already a Cync line of those easy-to-install ceiling light fixtures, however the Reveal line is designed for bogs and kitchens the place you may want the perfect readability gentle. 

Finally, the Cync app is getting a brand new integration with Schlage Encode good locks so you’ll be able to tie lighting automations to locking and unlocking your door. 

This good lock integration offers Cync with an virtually full good dwelling answer, overlaying lighting, locks, local weather management, and cameras. At CES final 12 months, Cync launched 11 new good bulbs, a brand new out of doors digicam, and a sensible thermostat, including to a portfolio that already has good gentle switches, dimmers, indoor and out of doors bulbs, good plugs, an indoor digicam, and a movement sensor. 

But that answer is one thing of a “curated” backyard and has restricted integrations with different platforms (most Cync merchandise work with Amazon Alexa and Google Home). If Cync continues to embrace Matter throughout all of its merchandise and broadens its interoperability, it may very well be in an excellent place to draw new good dwelling customers. The lower cost level in comparison with Hue and Nanoleaf mixed with a well known model title is a horny proposition.

However, its reliance on BLE Mesh, in comparison with the respective Zigbee and Thread help of its rivals, is a weak spot. Matter may assist enhance connectivity, however with a restricted rollout initially together with the dearth of backward compatibility with current Cync units, it looks like the corporate continues to be hedging its bets on the brand new interoperability normal.