Matter: The Connectivity Standard for Smart Homes
The Problem with Smart Home Devices
Since smart home devices and hubs started appearing on the market, the lack of compatibility between brands and devices has been a big problem. For years, you had to choose your home automation systems carefully, otherwise you might end up with incompatible devices and have to juggle multiple apps to control your home.
The Solution: Matter
The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), which created Matter and Zigbee, wants to make Matter the connectivity standard for smart homes. The CSA aims to change this situation by having Matter diminish interoperability woes in home automation systems.
Industry Support
Tech companies have gotten involved quickly. Apple’s Corey Wang, a producer in Human Interface Design, mentioned Matter during Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2022), pointing out the need to have more compatibility across brands in smart home devices for a truly connected home. In 2021, Amazon announced that almost all Echo devices would support Matter and later made OTA updates to existing devices. In 2022, Google added Matter-over-Thread support for its smart home hubs with Thread built-in.
More Companies Join the Bandwagon
Many other tech companies have since launched smart home devices with Matter support, including Eve, Switchbot, Aqara, Govee, and Roborock.
Conclusion
Matter has the potential to revolutionize the smart home industry by providing a single connectivity standard for all devices. With industry giants like Apple, Amazon, and Google already on board, it’s likely that Matter will become the go-to standard for smart home devices in the near future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Matter?
A: Matter is a connectivity standard for smart home devices, created by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA).
Q: What is the goal of Matter?
A: The goal of Matter is to provide a single connectivity standard for all smart home devices, eliminating interoperability issues between brands and devices.
Q: Which companies support Matter?
A: Apple, Amazon, Google, Eve, Switchbot, Aqara, Govee, and Roborock are some of the companies that support Matter.
Q: Will my existing smart home devices work with Matter?
A: Some existing devices may be compatible with Matter, but it’s best to check with the manufacturer to confirm.
