According to IHS, approximately 880,000 connected LED smart bulbs were shipped globally in 2013. With new lighting products entering the market seemingly every week, sales are forecast to ramp up very quickly in the next few years, with connected LED smart bulb shipments to surge to more than 11 million units in 2018.
LED suppliers hope that consumers will be willing to pay a premium for the ability to remotely turn their lights on or off. Consumers can also change the color of lighting to personalize their environment or turn lights on while on holiday to appear as though someone is home. Many believe the additional functionality from these solutions, combined with the popularity of more powerful mobile devices, will drive the smart lighting market in the future.
Many of the smart bulbs currently on the market use a controller or hub as the interface between a homeowner's Wi-Fi router and the bulb installed. However, increasingly the requirement for this additional device is diminishing, with manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics and LIFX starting to sell Bluetooth or Wi-Fi-enabled LED bulbs that enable the smartphone to directly connect to the bulb, added IHS.
