Lots of companies are selling smart light bulbs which can be controlled via applications but most of them happen to cost well over $100. This is where Misfit, a company that’s generally known for its wearable devices, saw an opportunity. At the International Consumer Electronics Show 2015 the company unveiled Misfit Bolt, a smart light bulb that’s light on the pocket.
Consumers go for LED bulbs because they tend to be energy efficient. Smart bulbs combine several diodes to allow users to tint the bulb’s color to whatever they like, this is done using an app, so that the lighting can be adjusted as per their mood. Most color-changing bulbs on the market are expensive because they have additional features. Misfit decided to keep things simple and make the Bolt good at one thing. So at $50 it is a very cheap color-changing smart light bulb.
The relatively cheaper price point means that customers will be able to invest in more of these bulbs and have more around the house, even though they’re still expensive than a standard CFL or LED bulb, but trends show that customers are happy to pay a little extra if the same bulb can provide much more than just white light.
The Bolt hooks up to a smartphone through Bluetooth LE and can be controlled using the Misfit Home application. It doesn’t require a central hub like other smart light bulbs. Bolt can work in tandem with Misfit’s other products to simulate a sunrise when the user gets up in the morning.
Misfit Bolt costs $60 a piece, the company is also going to sell packs of three for $130. Expected ship date is mid-February and Misfit is taking pre-orders right away.