Upcoming Philips Hue products are expected to be announced next week in conjunction with IFA, with several leaks already emerging. One notable point of speculation is the potential support for Matter-over-Thread. While this has not been officially confirmed, evidence suggests it may be in the works.
Packaging for two unannounced Hue bulbs was recently spotted on Amazon, displaying a Matter logo prominently. Historically, Philips Hue devices have connected using the Hue Bridge but have not supported Matter directly. This is largely due to Matter’s requirement for Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or Thread connectivity; Philips Hue has primarily utilized Zigbee and Bluetooth for its ecosystem.
An interesting find was a now-removed FCC filing, which contained references to a new Hue White lightbulb that included a Matter setup code alongside Bluetooth and Zigbee logos. This could indicate that the bulb will connect directly via Matter. While Ethernet is an unlikely option, Wi-Fi could be a possibility. However, Thread would be a more logical choice due to its low-power capabilities and ability to create self-healing mesh networks.
The FCC filing does not mention Thread or Wi-Fi, only Bluetooth and Zigbee. One document indicated that certain functions and modes were disabled in the software. While it is unclear what these functionalities may be, there is speculation that the list could include Thread, which operates on the 2.4GHz band like Zigbee.
Currently, it seems unlikely that Philips would completely transition from Zigbee to Thread. However, if supported, it could allow users to control Hue bulbs directly through any Matter controller, reserving the Bridge for more advanced features. The growing interest in Matter-over-Thread, evidenced by recent announcements from companies like Ikea, adds further context to the speculation.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/768232/leak-philips-hue-lights-matter-over-thread