Hue lightbulbs

Signify

Signify, parent-brand of Philips Hue, has announced a connectivity boost for its latest smart lights.

The smart illumination specialist has teamed up with Silicon Labs to add concurrent multiprotocol technology (CMP) to its connected light bulbs, allowing for Bluetooth, Zigbee, and Thread to run at the same time.

It was back in September last year that Signify used IFA 2025 to announce that all new Hue bulbs going forward would support Matter over Thread, meaning you could add them to a Thread border router - and therefore a Matter smart home system - without the need for a Hue Bridge.

At the time of the announcement it was a one-or-the-other affair. As with devices from the likes of Aqara and Ikea, you had to choose to go down the Zigbee or Thread route, with the latter meaning none of the advanced Hue Bridge functionalities.

However, that's about to change.

Signify tells us that software update, arriving later this year, will allow compatible Philips Hue bulbs to run Zigbee and Matter over Thread simultaneously, letting them stay connected to a Hue Bridge while also joining a Matter smart home directly.

Lights will be able to remain part of Hue’s setup for features such as dynamic scenes, entertainment syncing and automations, while also being controlled directly through platforms such as Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Samsung’s SmartThings.

As mentioned, the update is being powered by Silicon Labs' concurrent multiprotocol technology, which allows multiple wireless protocols to operate on the same radio hardware at the same time.

Some Hue products already shipping with Silicon Labs’ MG26 and SiMG301 chips are capable of supporting the feature, although users currently still have to select either Zigbee or Thread during setup.

The concurrent multiprotocol software update is scheduled to arrive later this year, removing that decision entirely.

Because Thread-powered smart bulbs act as always-on devices, they can also help to strengthen a Thread mesh network throughout the home, potentially improving reliability and coverage for other connected devices.

Last week in Austin, I moderated a panel at Unify 2026, where Philips Hue’s founder George Yianni explained how the brand intends to stay ahead in a standardized market.

Yianni stated that while some brands fear open standards like Matter will commoditize the smart lighting industry, he views it as an opportunity.

The dual-connectivity move backs up a point he made; that brands can instead focus their energy on meaningful differentiation and features that make a difference for consumers, rather than the plumbing which they should take for granted.

The early days of connected home technology were dominated by competing standards and ecosystem lock-ins, whereas the objective of Matter - backed by a who’s who of Big Tech - is to allow devices to work across multiple platforms without forcing consumers to pick sides, and Signify is definitely playing its part in that.