In smart lighting, there are two companies that are at the top of the heap, Philips Hue and LIFX, and then everyone else. While Philips Hue generally plays it safe to appeal to a broad audience, LIFX has come up with some pretty innovative smart light solutions, and one of them, the Tile, is Buy at Microsoft .
Normally $250, the Microsoft Store is currently selling the Tile for $180 through June 23, or “while supplies last. This is cheaper than anywhere else we’ve seen so far. The package includes five eight-inch tiles which you can arrange in any way you’d like, either together or separately, and it’s all controlled through the LIFX app.
Tile Kit:
Beam Kit:
With smart assistant support for HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Assistant, you can control your device via voice, and all five tiles together use just 34 watts of power at peak brightness, making them extraordinarily efficient.
You aren’t limited to just one color per tile, as each tile has 64 different ‘zones’ which can have subtle (or contrasting) differences in color to create some really visually stunning light effects wherever you decide to place them — either on a wall or a flat surface like a table. The light effects can be animated as well.
We’re big fans of the modularity of the Tile, as it adds a dimension of customization that just isn’t available with traditional smart lights. Another advantage of LIFX is that its color smart bulbs arguably produce more vivid colors than most Philips Hue bulbs, so if that’s a concern we’d recommend LIFX over the Hue line.
LIFX also makes another modular light product, called the LIFX Beam. Instead of squares, the Beam is a set of six foot-long linear lights that can be set up in any configuration just like the Tile. You get the same color functionality as the Tiles, and we were able to find them on sale at Best Buy for $130, $20 cheaper than their normal price.
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