by It took a little while, but we finally see the material standard deploy to various smart home devices. And this time it’s coming to a Google Nest near you.
A total of eight devices will receive the update and all will act as central hubs to control other Matter gadgets, according to the announcement. (opens in a new tab) you have the original Google Home speaker, tiny house, Nest Mini, NestAudioNest Hub (first and second generation), Nest Hub Max, and the Nest Wifi Pro. Matter-enabled devices can connect to any of the eight via Wi-Fi or Thread, a wireless standard that offers a “low-power connection”. In fact, second-gen Nest Hub, Hub Max, and WiFi Pro are also getting an update allowing them to serve as Thread Edge Routers to control other Thread devices. Additionally, Fast Pair on Android is being updated so that mobile devices can quickly connect to Matter.
However, there are some prerequisites for Android phones. A company representative told us that mobile devices must be running Android 8.1 and later as well as Google Play Services version 22.48.14 to work with the new standard. Nest owners, however, have nothing to do. The firmware update adding support for Matter is installed automatically.
Future promises
Since Matter is still in its infancy, there aren’t many devices that support it, but that will soon change from 2023 when Google plans to expand (opens in a new tab) The standard. Google confirmed to TechRadar two of these updates: the Nest thermostat and Nest WiFi. The tech giant also says it is currently working with various “partners across the industry.” [like Eve, Nanoleaf, and Philips Hue] to ensure more smart home devices work with Matter. And we will begin to see the fruits of their labor early next year.
Samsung is also currently working on updating Matter’s multi-admin tool for an easier onboarding experience. In 2023, the Google Home app will have the ability to recognize “Matter devices that have been set up through the SmartThing app” on Android. This way, users won’t have to connect smart home devices one by one. Everything can be done in one fell swoop. And speaking of Google Home, the iOS version will also get Matter support next year.
Build a smart home
The choices may be slim, but you do have a few choices. Eve, which we talked about earlier, recently rolled out a firmware update (opens in a new tab) adding Matter support for several products like its Energy smart plug and a few motion sensors. Back in early NovemberSignify has launched a set of Christmas lights under the Philips Hue brand for the new normal.
If you’re looking to build a smart home system but aren’t sure where to start, be sure to check out TechRadar’s recent update List of Best Home Security Cameras for 2023.
