C by GE is starting to see big changes. The smart lighting brand gets a new name, Cync, and extends beyond lighting to become more of a common smart home brand. The changes follow the sale of GE Lighting to Savant Systems, a luxury smart home business, in May 2020.
Like Cync, the system is supposed to get a new app in March that is meant to be ‘more user-friendly and customizable’. The brand has also launched an outdoor smart plug, a smart switch for ceiling fans and an indoor security camera, the latter being the first real enterprise besides smart plugs, lights and lighting fixtures.
The Cync interior camera can record footage in the cloud or on an SD card, and the camera has a built-in private shutter that can cover the lens. The outer plug starts in March, followed by the camera in May and the fan switch in June. Prices have not been announced. A thermostat is also underway for later in 2021.
C at GE has been around since 2015 when the brand was introduced with light bulbs that can be controlled via a telephone. It was a simple option for anyone who wanted to try a smart light bulb without investing too much, as top-competitive options required expensive hubs at the time.
Since then, the product range has not changed dramatically – it now offers products that support Wi-Fi, there are more lighting options and there are a handful of switches and plugs. Converting the line into Cync seems like the first step in making the brand something bigger.