Logitech, which earlier this year put their Harmony remote business up for sale, has done an about-face with the release of a new Harmony Ultimate Hub which is set to hit stores in August.
The device can control your home entertainment with your smartphone. You or anyone in the house can turn your existing iPhone or Android smartphone into a universal remote by downloading a free Harmony App, including 50 favourite channel icons and one-touch control.
Logitech, which announced in January this year it would sell its remotes division due to poor sales to focus on smartphones and tablets, has had a change of heart. It announced last week that retaining this division was in the best interest of shareholders.
The Californian firm says the Harmony line has “gained momentum” with customers after the April introduction of the Harmony Ultimate remote and to keep that momentum going, it’s launching the Harmony Ultimate Hub.
It’s similar to the original Harmony Hub, which puts all your home theatre controls into an iPod/iPad/Android app and communicates to the A/V gear via a little hub. But the new product also allows users to control game consoles with Bluetooth, as it turns RF signals from the remote control into IR and Bluetooth commands your home theater devices can understand.
The Ultimate Hub adds RF capabilities to Harmony Touch. Access devices inside closed cabinets and you can access internet services like Netflix and Hulu on your PS3, Wii or Xbox 360 as well.
Harmony is compatible with over 225,000 home theatre devices. Logitech’s patented Smart State technology remembers your devices’ power and input settings and automatically adjusts them, based on what you want to do.
Go to the Apple App Store or Google Play to download the Harmony App to your iPhone or Android smartphone.
The free app walks you through the set-up process.