Apple, Google, and Amazon Delay Launch of 'Matter' Smart Home Standard Until 2022

[MacRumors]

The Connectivity Standards Alliance, which includes Apple, Google, and Amazon, has announced it will delay the launch of its "Matter" standard, which aims to unify the smart home ecosystem of the largest tech giants, according to a blog post by the Alliance posted today (via Stacey on IoT).

"Matter," announced last year and formerly known as "Project CHIP," is a unified IP-based connectivity that aims to make a standard universal protocol for developers to build Internet of Things devices. The Alliance had previously sought to roll out the standard in the latter portion of this year, but it's now been delayed until 2022.

The group says that "Matter" is complete in regards to its feature set. However, according to the blog post, it still needs to continue working on the program in which developers can apply for certification and finish the SDK for developers to use.

Several smart home accessory makers have signed onto using Matter as a standard protocol, including Amazon, ASSA ABLOY, Comcast, Espressif Systems, Eve Systems, Google, Grundfos Holding A/S, Huawei, Infineon Technologies, LEEDARSON, Legrand, Nanoleaf, and others.

Article Link: Apple, Google, and Amazon Delay Launch of 'Matter' Smart Home Standard Until 2022

 

[ElectricPotato]

Wow, Comcast is on board. The mark of quality.

 

[jk1221]

Big shocker. Glad I didnt wait and got some Aqara stuff. Really good stuff and a very fair price.

 

[Konigi]

Will Matter be backward compatible with current systems? Will current devices be able to use the Matter standard?

 

[WiseAJ]

I guess it doesn't matter for 2021

 

[Jamie0003]

Big shocker. Glad I didnt wait and got some Aqara stuff. Really good stuff and a very fair price.

Maybe silly, but I’m not going to be buying anything that doesn’t support thread going forward. You do realise it’s unlikely that stuff will be backwards compatible with matter right? I don’t want to be tied into using separate hubs, and thread is better anyway. I got rid of my hue bulbs and replaced with nanoleaf.

 

[jk1221]

Maybe silly, but I’m not going to be buying anything that doesn’t support thread. You do realise it’s unlikely that stuff will be backwards compatible right? I don’t want to be tied into using separate hubs, and thread is better anyway. I got rid of my hue bulbs and replaced with nanoleaf.

IMO that is looking like another gimmick in the short term. Until people actually support it, it is a pipe dream.

It's been "out" as a standard for years and only Eve and Nanoleaf make Thread accessories, a very limited number of types too, still. There isn't even basic stuff out other than some lighting and 2-3 Eve sensors (like contact sensors). And I use mostly switches and not bulbs anyway to still have manual controls. And would want a full suite of sensors- motion, vibrate/glass break; the basic home security stuff.

Maybe that will change in the next year or 2, but you cant always wait for the next big thing.

 

[Just sayin...]

Will Matter devices also include mandatory government-reporting hashing spyware that Apple Executives will try to explain to mis-understanding customers and fanbois will defend…all ”for the children”?

 

[user_xyz]

Hello Wiretap-Please give me today's Schedule...

 

[_Spinn_]

Well this is disappointing. I was looking forward to Matter support coming in iOS 15.

 

[Aston441]

 

[adeadpixel]

They tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it doesn’t even Matter

 

[InVinoVeritasty]

Not in the market for ANY new devices given Apple's new Big Brother iSpy mentality

 

[Sneakz]

I mean, who didn’t see this coming.

 

[Xtir]

So funny, Apple and standards in one sentence.

 

[oneMadRssn]

Maybe silly, but I’m not going to be buying anything that doesn’t support thread going forward. You do realise it’s unlikely that stuff will be backwards compatible with matter right? I don’t want to be tied into using separate hubs, and thread is better anyway. I got rid of my hue bulbs and replaced with nanoleaf.

Personally I am less focused on the specific standard and more focused on the company behind it. In my view, the issue is not the number of hubs, but whether you will be able to get matching accessories in years to come.

To me it seems that Nanoleaf as a company is still too green - too young - compared to some of the others. They make some fun products, but they don't have the history to assure me that their bulbs will still be sold in 10 years and compatible with whatever system they have today.

Signify can trace it's roots back to the mid 90s, they truly innovated smart LED lighting back in the day, and during their brief time as subsidiary of Philips they picked up some good IP. Hue is probably going to be in this for the long haul.

But we can go even further back. Lutron has been around for something like 100 years, and was the first company to sell a solid-state dimmer switch. They're not going anywhere anytime soon. They'll probably still be making RA2-compatible switches in 10 years if not longer. So even through it's proprietary, I am eyeing their RA2 smart system.

 

[appleguyjoe1]

I guess it doesn't Matter to them.

 

[rpmurray]

This looks like collusion by the big three. Time for the U. S. Department of Justice to get involved.

​

https://www.justice.gov/​

 

[ghanwani]

Simply speaking, Matter doesn't matter as much as we thought it mattered.

 

[BeefCake 15]

Will Matter be backward compatible with current systems? Will current devices be able to use the Matter standard?

Those won't Matter.

 

[- rob -]

Will Matter be backward compatible with current systems? Will current devices be able to use the Matter standard?

I don’t see how they could orphan so many customers.

There are people outfitting entire homes with Homekit certified Lutron devices and they are not cheap.

Hue and Eve are doing huge sales of extremely high priced basic Homekit accessories and continuing to introduce new accessories.

There was a new “gradient” led tube strip product announced this week!

There are always cries of Apple will screw you over, or comparisons to what happened with HomePod.

However, abandoning support for existing HomeKit compatible devices essentially breaks reasonable expectations of what agreement should’ve been in place with Eve and Hue in the first place

If Apple is allowing them to sell homekit certified accessories part of that agreement has to include some expected needed support for these devices.

That certainty is part of the licensing fee Eve, Hue, Ikea and the rest pay for this and presumably pass on in their overpriced buttons and motion sensors.

The Homekit certification fees also allow these companies to budget the R&D and years of support costs needed to continue to sell existing and new Homekit certified devices.

So I think people should feel comfortable buying existing homekit stuff with confidence. It’s just an unnecessarily expensive patchwork of absolutely atrocious UX right now.

I run the Lutron, Ikea tradfri, and hue hubs and have experimented with the conbee ii univeral gateway.

From my view, Homekit / smarthome m is the ugliest, most underinvested product category Apple is in by far.

 

[Mousse]

Will Matter devices also include mandatory government-reporting hashing spyware that Apple Executives will try to explain to mis-understanding customers and fanbois will defend…all ”for the children”?

With Google on board, we might not need the government involved. But rest easy--Big Brothers got your back.😮

Not in the market for ANY new devices given Apple's new Big Brother iSpy mentality

Apple, Google and Amazon. What better set of Big Brothers could anyone ask for? Big Brothers are watching you.😑 Speaking as the runt of the litter, it sucks to be the little brother in this situtation.😔

 

[katbel]

Apple, Google and Amazon?!! How safe is going to be?
Can you opt out of it?

 

[lazyjj1]

From what I gather, buying Thread devices NOW is a good idea since it’ll be rolled into Matter. Basically it’s a subset of Matter.

 

[awhk]

Where is Ring?