Matter is absolutely game changing: it's gotten full support from Apple, Google, Amazon as well as most HA manufacturers.
With Matter you'll see significant improvements to whatever system you use to control your HA because you don't need 7 protocols and 3 hubs and 4 apps to run everything: it's the open standard we've needed with 1 protocol, 1 setup and pick your preferred app.
Yeah, but with Matter you can do everything locally. Maybe we need another standard where they can suck up all the data about when you turn your bedroom light on and off. We can call it "HCA".
Yeah, but do people actually need home automation? Making it simpler/better will make it more viable for people that actually want it but it feels like the bulk of people think it's a solution without a problem.
adding support for nine new types of connected devices. Robot vacuums, refrigerators, washing machines, and dishwashers are coming to Matter, as are smoke and CO alarms, air quality sensors, air purifiers, room air conditions, and fans.
The initial feature set for the new device types includes basic function controls (start / stop, change mode) and notifications — such as the temperature of your fridge, the status of your laundry, or whether smoke is detected (see sidebar for more).
A benefit of Matter for manufacturers is being able to focus efforts on products and features and not have to build support for multiple protocols or ecosystems or even necessarily make an app.
Taylor Lehman at Google Home said, “We’re working hard to add more support for Matter devices to our ecosystem ... this will take time.” I also reached out to Samsung SmartThings and Apple but neither provided an answer.
Chris LaPré, head of technology at the CSA, explained to me that the effort is designed to fix the problem of ecosystems not directly communicating, i.e., an Apple HomePod won’t talk to a Google Nest Hub.
It has wide adoption among the big appliance manufacturers, including LG, Haier, Samsung, and Electrolux (Whirlpool is not a member; Bean told me they are watching it closely).
When I spoke to Jaeyeon Jung, global head of SmartThings, at the IFA 2023 tech conference, I asked if the company planned to make any of its appliances Matter device types.
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