GE wants to help flesh out your smart home.
It is announcing new Wi-Fi-connected products for its C by GE smart lineup. The new devices all have built-in microphones, allowing you to directly control them via Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant (no smart speaker required). The star device is a recessed ceiling fixture that, like most smart lights, you can dim or colour-tune remotely. It also has a speaker, so it's kinda like a smart speaker for your ceiling.
GE said you can choose between Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri. Alongside the recessed light, there is a new Wi-Fi-connected light switch with built-in sensors for temperature, humidity, and ambient light. Both the switch and the ceiling light have built-in hubs that let them control other C by GE lights, too. If you use it in place of a regular light switch, you can dim your existing bulbs and control them remotely.
There's no microphone in that switch, unfortunately. Still, GE said it plans to add HomeKit support to all its C-Life and C-Sleep Bluetooth smart bulbs in the coming months. You'll need the $50 plug-in C-Reach Bridge to control the bulbs from outside of Bluetooth range. It also serves as a HomeKit bridge for the bulbs, so you can control them using HomeKit's Siri commands from within the home.
Speaking of HomeKit control, if you want to control GE's light products via Siri from outside of the home, you'll still need an Apple TV, iPad, or an Apple HomePod speaker. And finally, GE's Alexa-enabled Sol desk lamp will be updated for 2018. It'll soon be able to control Spotify playback, and it will have Amazon's "ESP" feature, enabling only the Alexa device that's nearest to you to respond to your command.
If any of that interests you, GE will showcase its new wares at CES 2018 next week. There's no word yet on pricing for the ceiling light and switch.