The Matter standard – which brings HomeKit compatibility to a far broader range of devices – is getting a significant upgrade.
The latest version will enable the production of lower cost HomeKit-compatible smart home devices, as well as slicker control over your existing ones …
A quick recap on Matter and HomeKit
Originally, brands wanting to offer HomeKit compatibility had to comply with an Apple-specific standard, and submit their devices for approval. The Matter standard eliminates both steps, with any Matter-compatible device automatically compatible with HomeKit, Google Home, Alexa, and Samsung Smart Things.
Cheaper HomeKit compatible devices
Currently, smart home devices often need to support both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, even when the former is only ever used for initial setup. Incorporating both radio standards makes devices more expensive to manufacture.
The latest version of the Matter standard (1.4.2) supports WiFi-only commissioning. This means manufacturers no longer have to include Bluetooth support, which should reduce prices.
More reliable control of scenes
Some scenes which make changes over time. For example, lights which dim and change to a warmer color temperature as the day progresses.
Currently, commands need to be sent to each device to trigger each progressive change. This involves a significant number of commands.
Matter now supports time-based behavior, reducing the number of commands needed to synchronize different devices. This should be reflected in improved reliability.
Improved battery life and responsiveness
Another upgrade is what is known as Quieter Reporting. This allows devices to reduce the number of times they report their status to HomeKit, which cuts the amount of data being handled by the network.
This should improve both battery life and responsiveness in homes with many devices.
Additional changes
There are also a number of security improvements, along with new standards for controlling robot vacuum cleaners. Although support for these devices already existed, the way in which commands were handled varied between brands and models. Standardizing the commands and behaviors should provide easier setup and more reliable operation.
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