A combination of supply chain issues and “aesthetic inconsistency” has forced Signify to discontinue two of its recently-launched Lightguide smart home lights. In a statement, the company said that it has halted production of these products due to its “continued dedication to the premium experience of our users.”
Philips Hue’s Lightguide smart lights face production issues
The Philips Hue Lightguide lineup of products first launched last September. The company described them as having a “striking and contemporary design” in three different shapes: large globe, ellipse, and triangular.
“Lightguide bulbs are designed to be a statement piece that will complement the decor of any modern home and blend seamlessly with any of your favorite Philips Hue light scenes,” Signify explained at the time.
As it turns out, the globe- and triangle-shaped bulbs weren’t up to snuff once they got into the hands of consumers. HueBlog.de was the first to spot that some of Philipe Hue’s Lightguide products and disappeared from sale. Signify’s PR lead, Kelly Hrank, then confirmed the news in a statement to The Verge.
Basically, so-called “consumer testing” of the Lightguide lineup revealed that the globe- and triangle-shaped bulbs suffer from “aesthetic inconsistency.” As The Verge puts it: “They don’t look good.”
“After discussions with our suppliers, it came to light that there wasn’t a feasible solution to the aesthetic inconsistency of the Philips Hue Lightguide bulbs discovered during consumer tests. Due to our continued dedication to the premium experience of our users, Philips Hue has decided to stop production of the Lightguide triangle- and globe-shaped bulbs.”
As such, the globe and triangle Lightguide bulbs have been removed from sale. The ellipse-shaped version, however, is still available and does not suffer from the “aesthetic inconsistency” problems. It’s currently out of stock, but the company says it expects a restock sometime in March.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments