Eve Rolling Out Matter Firmware Update for Select Products

[MacRumors]

Smart home accessory company Eve Systems today announced the rollout of an over-the-air firmware update that will bring Matter support to the recent Eve Energy, Eve Door and Window, and Eve Motion devices.

The optional Matter update will be available on iPhones and iPads running iOS or iPadOS 16.2, which is currently available in a beta capacity. Updating to Matter will also require a Thread Border Router capable Home Hub like the HomePod mini or the second/third-generation Apple TV 4K, and users will need to sign up for the Eve Matter Early Access Program, which will include a link to the Eve TestFlight app.

Eve says that these are the first products that have Matter support on the market. Eve devices updated with Matter will continue to work with HomeKit, with no change to the Home app experience, but once a device has been updated to Matter, it cannot be migrated back to HomeKit.

Devices with Matter support will work with HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home, though Amazon and Google have not yet rolled out support.

The Matter-compatible Eve Door and Window, Eve Energy, and Eve Motion can be purchased from the Eve website or from Amazon.com.

Article Link: Eve Rolling Out Matter Firmware Update for Select Products

 

[TonyC28]

“Matter is great and was worth the wait.”
-Person, year 2035

 

[Eldaerenth Faexidor]

I don’t know but why does this Matter? (I know, I’m hilarious..)

 

[siddavis]

I know they have to start somewhere, but Matter support being such a patchwork flies in the face of its whole intent.

 

[Logic368]

So if something supports Matter, it definitely supports Thread, too, right? But not vice versa?

 

[presston]

The optional Matter update will be available on iPhones and iPads running iOS or iPadOS 16.2, which is currently available in a beta capacity. Updating to Matter will also require a Thread Border Router capable Home Hub like the iPad mini or the second/third-generation Apple TV 4K, and users will need to sign up for the Eve Matter Early Access Program, which will include a link to the Eve TestFlight app.

HomePod Mini, not iPad mini. https://support.apple.com/en-sg/HT210213

 

[Canubis]

Eve devices updated with Matter will continue to work with HomeKit, with no change to the Home app experience, but once a device has been updated to Matter, it cannot be migrated back to HomeKit.

Admittedly I didn't really read up on the whole Matter topic yet and what changes it implies, though even after reading this paragraph 3 times, i have no idea what it aims to tell me.
Seems like the second half of the sentence contradicts the first half, no?

 

[now i see it]

Ok this is going to be another negative comment but:

If you’ve ever used the eve app, you’ll likely never buy another eve product again. Man it’s bad.

 

[UnseenLlama]

So if something supports Matter, it definitely supports Thread, too, right? But not vice versa?

Not necessarily. A Matter device could just use WiFi instead of Thread for transport.

 

[centauratlas]

Let's hope all the 16.2 (and equivalent macOS, tvOS and watchOS) updates arrive today at 1pm EST/10pm PST. Yeah, the beta is fine for the iPad and iPhone and Mac, but the others a more of a hassle. Obviously Tuesday or Wednesday is a possibility too. With this Eve update, it might be sooner vs later.

The Eve app is okay, but it would be nice to have it a bit more polished. Of course Home is not great either, hopefully 16.2 remedies much of that.


We had these so I am hoping Monday:
iOS 15.2 on 12/13/2021, Monday
iOS 14.3 on 12/14/2020, Monday


(Of course 13.3 was 12/10/2019, so Tuesday.)

 

[CarAnalogy]

Admittedly I didn't really read up on the whole Matter topic yet and what changes it implies, though even after reading this paragraph 3 times, i have no idea what it aims to tell me.
Seems like the second half of the sentence contradicts the first half, no?

I think it means that once a device has been changed to the Matter protocol, it will only use that protocol and not the alternative HomeKit protocol. So a device that was once HomeKit only will now no longer be that. Definitely a strange way to say it and this whole topic is confusing.

I think the idea is to eventually migrate HomeKit itself entirely to Matter, so the difference should not be apparent to the user.

 

[CarAnalogy]

So if something supports Matter, it definitely supports Thread, too, right? But not vice versa?

I think it is actually vice versa. Thread is an actual RF protocol like Wifi and Bluetooth, and Matter is a software protocol like TCP/IP. So something may or may not have a Thread radio but may still use the Matter protocol over Wifi or Bluetooth. But if something has a Thread radio it definitely supports Matter.

 

[wyrdness]

Whilst this is all pretty confusing right now, in the longer term it should mean that Homekit becomes compatible with far more devices.

 

[Pianoplayah]

Ok this is going to be another negative comment but:

If you’ve ever used the eve app, you’ll likely never buy another eve product again. Man it’s bad.

it sucks. But it’s the best way to create conditional automations that I know of. Why can’t apple just frigging enable that in the home app??? Like make it an “advanced settings” toggle or something.

 

[Pianoplayah]

I think it is actually vice versa. Thread is an actual RF protocol like Wifi and Bluetooth, and Matter is a software protocol like TCP/IP. So something may or may not have a Thread radio but may still use the Matter protocol over Wifi or Bluetooth. But if something has a Thread radio it definitely supports Matter.

No, I believe that matter only uses the thread protocol. For instance, if you have zigbee devices, they cannot be updated to support matter. You might get a zigbee bridge that supports matter however.

 

[centauratlas]

I updated to 16.2 beta on the phone to try this. There was also an update for the eve cam, although perhaps unrelated. I don't see the other ones yet, perhaps due to not being early access. Lol

 

[TVreporter]

Yet companies like Nanoleaf say you need to buy all new products with Matter and they can’t update any existing items.

Probably explains the rash of sales to dump older product.

 

[CarAnalogy]

No, I believe that matter only uses the thread protocol. For instance, if you have zigbee devices, they cannot be updated to support matter. You might get a zigbee bridge that supports matter however.

Matter devices connect to each other locally over your home network using Wi-Fi or Thread

Source: https://store.google.com/intl/en/ideas/articles/matter-thread-for-your-smart-home/

 

[ipedro]

Ok this is going to be another negative comment but:

If you’ve ever used the eve app, you’ll likely never buy another eve product again. Man it’s bad.

Good news: the entire point of Matter is that you won't need proprietary apps. Device manufacturers can stick to making hardware, make it Matter compatible and leave the software to software designers. Apple's Home app has already controlled all Eve devices, now any Matter controller software can do the same. You won't even need to download Eve's app to set up the devices.

 

[MacRumorUser78]

I know they have to start somewhere, but Matter support being such a patchwork flies in the face of its whole intent.

The smart home has been promised for nearly two decades. This seems like it might finally make it happen. Most of us don't have to do anything, but in a couple of years we'll have it.

 

[AppleDave2]

HomePod Mini, not iPad mini. https://support.apple.com/en-sg/HT210213

And AppleTV 2nd generation + 3rd generation >>>>128gb Modell<<<< only.

 

[AppleDave2]

Ifyou don’t like the HomeKit App use Controller for ipad. I find it greate.

With thread you already don’t need the Eve App.

 

[name99]

I think it means that once a device has been changed to the Matter protocol, it will only use that protocol and not the alternative HomeKit protocol. So a device that was once HomeKit only will now no longer be that. Definitely a strange way to say it and this whole topic is confusing.

I think the idea is to eventually migrate HomeKit itself entirely to Matter, so the difference should not be apparent to the user.

No, it's not surprising at all.
The point is that ONLY Apple HW that is 16.2 or later can speak Matter. So, if you upgrade your Eve device to Matter, then don't complain when it stops working in your iOS 16.1 house. (Or, more likely, if you give it to a friend, or move it to the office, or whatever.)
They are trying to point out that if you do not live on the leading edge (do not plan to update your entire Apple ecosystem to 16.2) then you will be very upset after your upgrade your Eve device to Matter and your old Apple products can no longer communicate with it.

 

[name99]

Ifyou don’t like the HomeKit App use Controller for ipad. I find it greate.

With thread you already don’t need the Eve App.

You do if you want, eg, to see the time-lines from your Eve devices (how temperature changed over the past week, when your lights were on, or whatever)...

 

[name99]

Good news: the entire point of Matter is that you won't need proprietary apps. Device manufacturers can stick to making hardware, make it Matter compatible and leave the software to software designers. Apple's Home app has already controlled all Eve devices, now any Matter controller software can do the same. You won't even need to download Eve's app to set up the devices.

hah
Matter means you won't need proprietary apps FOR COMMON FEATURES...
What will in fact happen is that every piece of HW will claim to have some extra special feature that can only be accessed by the proprietary app. Many of those features you won't care about, but some you will...

(Compare, eg, hard drives and how even there, in something so standardized, each vendor wants you to believe that you should use their proprietary software that ships with the drive for backup, or security or whatever...)