Philips unveils new Hue Beyond LED fixtures at IFA (pictures)

Philips introduced new Hue Beyond LED fixtures at IFA 2014 in Berlin. Click through to see what these high-end, color-changing lamps have to offer.

Unlike standalone Hue LED bulbs, the Hue Beyond lamps are full fixtures with LEDs built right in. They're expensive, too, starting at £299. Pricing and availability for the US and Australia aren't locked down yet, but that converts to $495 and AU$530, respectively. Prices go up even higher for pendant or ceiling fixtures.

This built-in light approach is an interesting and perhaps risky one -- when the light burns out, you won't be able to swap in a new bulb.

Fortunately, like most LEDs, the light in the Hue Beyond promises to last for years -- 15 years, to be specific, or 15,000 hours at an average of 3 hours of usage per day.

The Hue Beyond fixtures promise the same color-rendering capabilities as the standalone Hue LEDs. The desk lamp boasts a 600-lumen light output, while the ceiling and pendant fixtures will put out 1,200 lumens.

The Hue Beyond fixtures feature two distinct banks of LEDs, one under the top awning and one under the bottom one.

You'll be able to control each bank of LEDs independently from the other within the Philips Hue app for Android and iOS devices.

As with other LEDs in the Philips Hue family, you'll be able to control, schedule, and automate your Hue Beyond fixtures right from your smartphone. This includes the color-changing novelty factor.

You'll also have a full white-light spectrum to choose from, with tones ranging from warm yellow to hot white to extra hot blue.

The Hue Beyond fixtures are also promising IFTTT compatibility, so you'll be able to automate them in conjunction with popular Web services and other well-connected smart devices.

With IFTTT, you'll be able to set up cool automation recipes, like setting it so the lights flash red whenever you get an important new email.

The Hue Beyond fixtures arrive at the UK's Selfridges department stores this month, with retail availability coming to the US and the rest of the world at some unspecified future date.