There are already a number of companies that produce smart lightbulbs with Belkin and Phillips being two of the bigger names in the space, but now we can add one more major player to the list: LG. Although the Korean-based company has yet to reveal exactly when its new “LG Smart Lamp” bulbs will ship, it does say they will cost 35,000 Korean won (roughly $32).
As you might expect from a ‘smart’ bulb, LG has packed in quite a few features that can easily be controlled by your Android 4.3+ smartphone or tablet using a special app. Aside from turning the lights on and off, the app will also allow you to vary the lightbulb’s brightness, and there’s even a “security mode” that will let you schedule the smart lights to turn on and off at specific times. Additionally, you can make it so the lights gradually turn on at a specific time in the morning.
LG’s lights are designed to last “more than ten years when turned on for five hours every day” and are said to save energy by 80% when compared to an incandescent light bulb. At least initially we can expect the light bulbs to be available only in Korea, though we wouldn’t be surprised to see these bulbs arrive to other markets in the months to come.
What do you think, like the idea of smart bulbs or do you feel that the extra cost isn’t worth the added functionality when compared to other types of light bulbs?
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