As announced by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), version 1.0 of the new smart home standard between manufacturers Matter has been released. Numerous well-known manufacturers such as Amazon, Apple, Google, Samsung, and Philips Hue are involved in the CSA.
Manufacturers are ready
Providers that support Matter now have all the resources to implement the standard. Many manufacturers have been preparing for this for some time, as they were already heavily involved in development. For example, Apple has already released iOS 16.1 for developers with Matter support in HomeKit. It’s likely that with iOS 16.1, Apple will also signal the start of Matter support.
Products can be certified
However, with the official release of Matter 1.0, product certification will also start in the labs and developer tools as well as the open source SDK will be available. Manufacturers who participated in the development of Matter and have already prepared their delivered products for the new standard will soon be able to implement the necessary software updates as soon as their products are officially certified. In addition to Apple, Amazon, Google, and Samsung, it also includes many products from Philips Hue, Tado, Eve, and Huawei. But Ikea is also planning a new smart home hub with Matter, which is rumored to start in November.
Matter aims to take the interoperability of smart home devices from different manufacturers to a whole new level by allowing them to be used together for the first time. Eve products, for example, which were previously only designed for HomeKit, can also be used with Android and Samsung SmartThings in the future, as the manufacturer recently demonstrated to the public at IFA 2022. Matter works via Wi-Fi and wire.
Now updates should follow promptly
Following the official completion of Matter, it is now the turn of the manufacturers. Many companies have committed to delivering updates to their devices very soon after release to support the smart home standard as quickly as possible after numerous changes. For example, Amazon has announced that almost all Echo speakers will act as Matter controllers and the 4th generation Echo (test) will even be able to act as an edge router. The same applies to Google’s second-generation Nest Hub (test) and the Nest Wifi Pro mesh WLAN system with Wi-Fi 6E, which was introduced today.
The first products should be fully certified within a few days or weeks. Many manufacturers want to show certified products in live demonstrations at a CSA event in Amsterdam in early November.
Some product categories are missing in Matter 1.0
The subject will be gradually introduced for different product categories. It starts with devices like lamps and lights, plugs, door locks, thermostats, window shades, sensors like motion detectors and smoke detectors, garage door controls, WLAN routers and access points, and TVs, as well as streaming devices. However, security cameras, alarm systems, robot vacuum cleaners, household appliances and the broad field of electromobility are not included.
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