Consumers are making a run for LED bulbs and internet connected devices, today Cree announced a new solution to these trends. Already known for its highly-rated products, Cree is now bringing smart home compatibility with the Connected LED Bulb. They have priced them very competitively, coming in at 50% the price of a comparable smart home lighting option.

At the end of this month Home Depot will begin stocking its shelves with the Connected LED Bulb. Initially priced at $14.97 for a 60 watt version, this bulb will compatible with ZigBee and Wink Certified hubs, as well as Apple’s upcoming HomeKit. At this price point, the Cree LED Bulb will fall in line with its competitors offerings, such as the GE Link. Owners of SmartThings internet connected hubs and the like will be able to insert this bulb into their home setup without needing If This Then That to help these devices communicate. This type of smart home hub will be required to utilize the smart functionality of this bulb.

The Connected Cree LED Bulb will have a three year manufacturers warranty and is rated for a 25,000 hour lifespan. Cree claims that it will consume 81% less energy than traditional lightbulbs with an expected charge of $.11/kWh.

Cree Makes Connected Lighting Smarter

Connected LED Bulb Delivers Superior Lighting Experience, Compatible with Market-Leading Platforms

DURHAM, NC — Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE) introduces the Connected Cree® LED Bulb, the first smart LED bulb to deliver the combination of the lighting experience customers expect from Cree with industry-leading simplicity, multi-platform compatibility and affordability. The new 60-watt replacement Connected Cree LED Bulb is compatible with Wink and ZigBee® certified hubs and is available at The Home Depot® for just $14.97, a price poised to drive adoption.

“Everything Cree does is based on the promise of providing the best lighting experience, and that starts with superior LED light. The Connected Cree® LED Bulb delivers on that promise while also creating a simple user experience for consumers seeking device connectivity in their homes,” said Betty Noonan, Cree chief marketing officer. “The Connected Cree® LED Bulb provides the uncompromising combination of a superior LED light experience with multi-platform compatibility, all at an affordable price.”

Today’s Connected Cree LED Bulb is compatible with Wink and ZigBee certified hubs, allowing consumers to control the Connected Cree LED Bulb from anywhere by simply installing the bulb and compatible hub, syncing the devices and customizing the settings using your iOS® or Android® smartphone. Easily dim or brighten the lights to the perfect setting, schedule lights to come on at the start of each day or turn lights on while away for added security.

The Connected Cree LED Bulb is also designed for compatibility with future Cree supported hubs and market-leading platforms such as the Apple® HomeKit™ platform as consumers adopt new platforms for home connectivity.

“We are excited to support the Connected Cree® LED Bulb, as it complements Wink’s mission to make the connected home accessible,” said Brett Worthington, GM, Wink. “The Connected Cree® LED Bulb delivers on this promise by providing an amazing lighting experience combined with simple setup with the Wink app.”

Just like the Cree LED Bulb, the Connected Cree LED Bulb emits a warm, omnidirectional light thanks to its 4Flow™ Filament Design. This innovation creates a compact, optically balanced light source inside a durable, shatter-proof housing. The Connected Cree LED Bulb is available in a 60-watt replacement option, delivering 815 lumens in a soft white (2700K) color temperature. Backed by a three-year warranty, the Connected Cree LED Bulb consumes 81 percent less energy*, has a rated lifetime of 25,000 hours and is dimmable via smartphone app.

Consumers can purchase the Connected Cree LED Bulb online and in The Home Depot stores later this month. Visit www.creebulb.com to learn more.

* Based on Cree LED Bulb 60-watt replacements at 11.5-watt, $0.11 per kilowatt-hour, 25,000-hour lifetime and average usage of three hours per day.

About Cree Cree is leading the LED lighting revolution and making energy-wasting traditional lighting technologies obsolete through the use of energy-efficient, mercury-free LED lighting. Cree is a market-leading innovator of lighting-class LEDs, LED lighting and semiconductor products for power and radio-frequency (RF) applications.

Cree’s product families include LED fixtures and bulbs, blue and green LED chips, high-brightness LEDs, lighting-class power LEDs, power-switching devices and RF devices. Cree® products are driving improvements in applications such as general illumination, electronic signs and signals, power supplies and solar inverters.

Please refer to www.creebulb.com for additional product and company information.

This press release contains forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown, that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated. Actual results may differ materially due to a number of factors, including the risk that actual savings and lifetimes will vary from expectations; the risk that we may be unable to manufacture these new products with sufficiently low cost to offer them at competitive prices or with acceptable margins; the risk we may encounter delays or other difficulties in ramping up production of our new products; customer acceptance of LED products; the rapid development of new technology and competing products that may impair demand or render Cree’s products obsolete; and other factors discussed in Cree’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 29, 2014, and subsequent filings.

Cree® is a registered trademark, and 4Flow™ is a trademark of Cree, Inc. ZigBee® is a registered trademark of ZigBee Alliance Corporation. The Home Depot® is a registered trademark of Homer TLC, Inc. iOS® is a registered trademark of Cisco Technology, Inc. Android® is a registered trademark of Google Inc. Apple® is a registered trademark, and HomeKit™ is a trademark of Apple Inc.