New from Samsung: Bluetooth-Enabled “Smart Bulbs”

Hot on the heels of a similar announcement by rival electronics manufacturer LG, Samsung debuted its new Smart Bulb in Frankfurt, Germany. The new Bluetooth-enabled Smart Bulb offers enhanced features that allow users to control it from a multitude of connected devices. This technology also reportedly allows users to download apps that will enable them to add as many as 64 Smart Bulbs to a single central control.

The Smart Bulb’s precision features include the ability to dim lighting levels to as little as 10 percent of full brightness while providing an estimated 15,000 hours of lighting. Based on average usage patterns, that translates to about 10 years per bulb. Users will also be able to change peak lighting levels from a base of 2700k to 6500k, potentially extending the product’s lifespan.

In an interview, Hee-Chong Yoon, Samsung’s vice-president of LED lamp marketing, said that the company is confident its new Smart Bulb will be a hit with consumers. “Based on our extensive experience with semiconductor and LED technology, as well as our knowledge of the appliances industry, we are in a unique position to deliver exciting smart solutions.” Yoon also said that Samsung’s “ultimate goal” was to “connect the digital dots in our customer’s lives.”

Samsung is expected to unveil two more Bluetooth-enabled light bulbs, the L-tube and the PAR series, in the coming months. There is currently no pricing information available on the Smart Bulb.

Bluetooth app developers have long been anticipating the arrival of the “smart home,” an advancement which finally appears imminent. The Internet of Things, heralded as the “next big thing” in Internet technology, is just around the corner, and it will give mobile app developers a burgeoning new market for their products. In the years ahead, smartphones and other connected devices will see widespread and growing use in the access and control of home systems.