After an excruciatingly long wait, the Matter 1.0 standard is finally here. It promises to bring full device interoperability to smart homes---if two devices support Matter, they will work together regardless of their branding. And since Matter leverages Thread, it should increase the range and responsiveness of your smart home.
Matter is a protocol developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance or CSA (previously known as the Zigbee Alliance). It combines the best of Zigbee, Thread, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth LE to serve as a "universal translator" for smart home products.
Essentially, Matter solves smart homes' biggest problem---device incompatibility. And you don't need to download any new apps or voice assistants to unlock this functionality, as Matter will be built into Google Home, SmartThings, Alexa, and HomeKit in the coming weeks or months.
The Matter standard should also improve the range and responsiveness of your smart home through Thread, an existing protocol that HomeKit users should be familiar with. And notably, Google claims that Android can automatically detect nearby Matter devices for a quick setup.
Hundreds of existing products are already prepared for Matter. Once these products go through a certification process, they should receive an update that unlocks Matter support. We expect major brands like Google, Apple, Samsung, and Amazon to be first in line for certification, as these brands helped the CSA develop its Matter protocol.
Earlier today, Google revealed its redesigned Home app with Matter compatibility. A public preview for this redesign will roll out in the coming weeks. Presumably, Matter won't feel "real" until updates like these hit consumers' devices.
We assume that smart home brands will publish Matter-related press releases throughout the week. Keep an eye on this article or join our free newsletter for any updates.