WiFi and Google Thread,Zigbee does not unify the smart home protocol in the past. As with explosion of smart home devices,it’s necessary to have a wireless protocol that every manufacturer uses and people can use same one App to control all the devices.
Matter is a protocol developed under the background. It’s a common language for smart home devices, designed to simplify everything about the smart home, from purchase to setup and everyday use. Its biggest promise is making smart devices work with each other across platforms and ecosystems, no matter who made them.
This means no more checking for the “Works With” HomeKit, Google Home, or Alexa badges; Matter devices work with all of them and can be part of multiple platforms at the same time. You can control your Matter smart thermostat, Matter sensor, Matter locks, and so forth with Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant. It’s great for multiplatform homes. If you have an iPhone, your father has a Xiaomi phone, and your kid has a tablet, you’ll all be able to control all your Matter devices and feel confident that any new Matter device you buy will work with every smart home platform you use.
Matter can also work entirely on your local network, so gadgets should respond more quickly and work even if your internet is down. Yes, Matter should make turning your HVAC thermostat control on just as fast and reliable as using a
what you need to know
Matter is here, but it’s still a long road to the simple smart home
Here’s what it’s like to use the first Matter devices in the real world
Matter isn’t a new protocol; it’s a specification for how devices should talk to each other. It runs over existing protocols: Thread for low-power, low-bandwidth devices such as light bulbs and sensors, and Wi-Fi or ethernet for higher bandwidth devices like streaming media players and cameras (when they arrive).
The Matter standard is now integrated into every major smart home platform, including Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings, which means that smart home devices no longer have to be certified individually for each platform. Any Matter device will work with all of them, though some platforms may offer extra features or better automation. And for those features, devices will need that extra Works With certification.
A key feature of Matter is that all devices can be controlled locally in your home; they do not require an internet connection to work or to work together. Cloud connectivity is an option, though, and allows for out-of-the-home control and integration with cloud services.