Anyone who networks their devices at home today is either an expert or loves chaos. Zigbee, Z-Wafe, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HomeKit: Smart home devices that are supposed to make life easier are driving users to despair. Lucky are those who have obtained all of their networked helpers from one manufacturer.
But if the lamps, loudspeakers, door locks, thermostats and vacuum cleaners are from different manufacturers, the smart home is suddenly no longer so smart. Each device has its own smartphone app to control it. Communication between them is then often not provided for.
The companies have now realized that this is nonsensical – and have agreed on the common Matter connection standard. At the International Consumer Electronics Fair (IFA), they are now demonstrating how their new beginning should work. Here’s what you should know about it.
Matter is a connection standard based on the Internet Protocol (IP) and with which compatible smart home products communicate with each other. The notification data is transmitted via local network connections and does not have to run over the Internet.
This has several advantages: On the one hand, the control of different devices now works across platforms. The adapter plug, which was previously only switched on and off by Amazon’s Alexa, now also works with devices that support Apple’s HomeKit. On the other hand, the failure of the Internet connection at home has no effect on this communication.
no Matter is really just the connection standard. The manufacturer’s app is therefore required to control the devices. But this app can now also be used for devices from other manufacturers.
This is also the place where rules are created. For example, the vacuum cleaner robot can start its work automatically the moment the front door is locked.
The bridges that were previously connected to Internet routers and served as the basis for the networked devices are now superfluous. Up until now, each manufacturer had offered its own base.
More than 280 companies have already announced their support, including Amazon, Apple, Google, Samsung, Bosch, Huawei, Ikea, Eve Systems, LG, Netatmo and Signify (Philips Hue).
In particular, the large platform operators Amazon with Alexa, Apple with HomeKit, Google with Google Home and Samsung with SmartThings should ensure that Matter will assert itself in the industry.
Apple and Google have announced plans to build Matter into their next mobile operating systems, iOS and Android. In one fell swoop, several hundred million devices should then be able to communicate via Matter.
Smarthome devices that support Matter will be identified by a logo on the packaging. Several manufacturers have announced their first models for fall.
But many models that have already been sold will also get Matter via an update. These include, for example, many smart Echo speakers from Amazon, Google (Nest) and Apple’s HomePod mini.
But other devices such as the Apple TV 4K or Samsung’s SmartThing hubs also have the necessary prerequisites for Matter. An update has also been announced for the second-generation Philips Hue bridges.
This cannot be assumed, because Matter is not an ecosystem, but a connection standard. In the future, an app will be able to control all devices that understand Matter.
However, manufacturers will continue to want to differentiate themselves by offering additional functions or making their applications particularly user-friendly. They would also be responsible for making devices remotely controllable over the internet by offering a cloud feature.
Matter comes piggybacking into the smart home world with a wireless technology called Thread. In contrast to radio technologies such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, Thread has been specially developed for the smart home. While it operates on the same frequencies, it uses less energy and is much more responsive.
Most importantly, a threaded network is capable of healing itself. Because every new smart home device extends the range of the network because it forwards information and commands to the next recipient. If one device fails, another device takes over the forwarding. However, Matter only works with Wi-Fi.
That’s not entirely clear yet. They can add Matter functionality to their devices without paying a license fee. Your devices can then also be integrated more flexibly into a smart home because they can communicate more easily with other devices.
However, since the user does not need a separate app for each device, smaller providers in particular could be left behind because they do not have the resources that large providers such as Apple, Google and Samsung have.
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