sooo
First came the specification, then the launch, and then CES 2023: It’s been a busy few months for Matter, the connectivity standard for the smart home. You can’t fill your home with Matter-ready devices just yet, but there are some exciting options in the works. Here’s a look at some of the more practical, wacky, and viable gear coming soon (or soon).
Some parts of Matter are already here
If you wanted to start your smart home from scratch this year with a focus on universal compatibility powered by Matter, you already have a couple of puzzle pieces ready for you. Let’s go little by little, starting with your phone.
Your phone, whether it’s iOS or Android, can scan the QR code or read the Bluetooth signal of a Matter-certified device. Most platforms support adding devices to a controller via an Android app, but only Apple’s HomeKit and Samsung’s SmartThings have support for iOS device enrollment. Amazon has said it plans to add iOS enrollment for Thread-based devices this spring, but it already supports devices over Wi-Fi.
Your controller, the app, and the ecosystem that collects some or all of your Matter devices and allows you to read or manipulate them are probably ready, too. Amazon’s Alexa, Google’s Nest and Home devices and apps, Apple’s HomeKit, Samsung’s SmartThings, and open source systems like the Home Assistant are already compatible with Matter devices.
Matter devices can communicate via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Thread. If you’re looking for Thread devices, some of your existing equipment may already function as a Thread “edge router” or range extender. These devices already have Thread built in:
- Nest Hub, second generation and Max
- Nest Wifi and Wifi Pro routers
- Apple TV 4K (2nd generation and newer)
- Apple HomePod Mini
- Nanoleaf Shapes, Elements and Lines Panels
- Eero mesh routers, Wi-Fi 6 and newer
Amazon plans to add Thread edge router capabilities to its fourth-generation Echo devices in spring 2023.
Actually, using Matter right now is very rare.
The bold among us can technically scan a few Matter devices and add them to a Matter-enabled controller with a Matter-enabled phone. You can, but you probably shouldn’t – it’s not a very straightforward process at the moment, and you could easily lose devices or routines from existing setups.
Kevin Tofel, writing for the Stacey on IoT blog, attempted in mid-December to add an Eve Energy Smart Plug and Eve Motion Sensor to a Google Nest Hub with an iPhone 12 and a Google Pixel 7 running their latest OS versions using Google home app. It eventually got to a point where both devices (previously HomeKit only) were accessible via Apple and Google smart home systems.
To get there, however, Tofel had to print or save a copy of a new Matter QR code for his Eve plug and sensor. He then tried to add the plug through the Eve and Apple Home apps, but they didn’t work. The Google Home app added the Eve sensor, and then Apple Home and Eve might add it too. Tofel had to reset the factory plug before he could add it to all his apps. And he had to add back an automation that he set up in the Eve app because it was no longer connected to a known device.
It’s better to expect devices built with Matter in mind from their own design. That wait should only be a few months if manufacturers stick to their announcements.
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