This is a guide to currently available Matter-compatible devices and a preview of what’s on the horizon for this smart home standard supported by Apple, Amazon, Google, and Samsung.
Matter represents a fresh smart home standard jointly developed by Apple, Google, Amazon, Samsung, and other key players. Its primary aim is to simplify the smart home experience by offering a universal communication protocol for manufacturers of smart home devices. This ensures seamless compatibility with other devices and all major smart home platforms.
Matter and Matter Compatible Smart Home Devices
In late 2022, Matter was introduced in several device categories, including locks, lights, sensors, shades, and plugs. In October 2023, the Connectivity Standards Alliance revealed plans to expand the standard to encompass robot vacuums, refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, smoke and CO alarms, air quality sensors, air purifiers, room air conditioners, and fans. This development enables device manufacturers and platforms to integrate support for these categories, bringing smart home users one step closer to seamlessly connecting and controlling all their devices through Matter.
This news is indeed positive, but Matter is not yet the user-friendly and seamlessly interoperable solution that was initially envisioned. It remains uncertain whether all platforms will offer support for these additional device types, as it’s not a mandatory requirement. Furthermore, there are still notable gaps in device features, such as the absence of energy management for smart plugs, adaptive lighting, and comprehensive support for PINs in door locks. Thread border routers continue to pose challenges in certain smart home setups, and cross-ecosystem compatibility remains inconsistent. (I attempted to transition my Hue smart bulbs to Matter, and my recommendation is… don’t.)
Matter is in the early stages of development, but if you’re enthusiastic about embracing this emerging universal language for smart home devices, we’ve got you covered. You can find a comprehensive list of devices compatible with Matter here, including currently available options and upcoming releases. So, dive in to explore all the gadgets, gizmos, and Thread border routers that you can purchase now and those that will be arriving soon.
What’s Significant About Matter?
If you’re not familiar with Matter, you can delve into my in-depth exploration, “Matter’s Strategy to Revolutionize the Smart Home.” Alternatively, here’s a concise overview:
Matter is a novel standard collaboratively developed by major players in the smart home industry, including Amazon, Apple, Google, Samsung, and more. Its primary objective is to streamline the smart home experience, making the purchase, setup, and usage of products more user-friendly. The central purpose of Matter is to ensure that connected devices seamlessly communicate with one another across different platforms and ecosystems. This means you won’t need to verify compatibility with Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, or Google Home when purchasing a smart device. If it’s Matter-compatible, it will work with any or all of these platforms.
Matter allows you to manage your smart devices through any platform that supports Matter. Whether you’re using an iOS or Android device or your preferred voice assistant, like Google Pixel or iPhone, it offers flexibility for you and your roommate to jointly control your home.
