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Matter 1.5 Launches With Camera Support

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The Connectivity Standards Alliance that counts Apple as a member today released Matter 1.5, the latest version of the cross-platform smart home standard. Matter 1.5 includes support for cameras, closures, and soil sensors, along with updated energy management capabilities.

matter-iot-standard.jpg

Matter 1.5 will allow for Matter-enabled cameras without custom APIs or integrations. Matter cameras support live video and audio streaming through WebRTC, enabling two-way talk and local and remote access. Multi-stream specifications are supported, as are pan-tilt-zoom controls, motion detection, privacy zones, and flexible storage options. Clip playback and storage are handled by the device maker or platform, and on-camera audio and video analysis is not available.

The specification will work with doorbell cameras, indoor and outdoor security cameras, flood light cameras, baby and nanny cameras, pan/tilt cameras, and more. Cameras can connect with Wi-Fi, PoE, or Ethernet. There is built-in backward compatibility for most modern cameras, but manufacturers will need to decide which devices will get support.

There is an updated and unified approach to closures, a category that includes devices like window shades, drapes, awnings, gates, and garage doors. Different kinds of motion are supported, such as sliding, rotating, and opening, along with multiple configurations.

The Alliance says that consumers can expect more consistent and flexible control of closures across apps and ecosystems, along with clear knowledge of whether a device like a garage door is open or closed.

For plant care, Matter 1.5 adds support for soil sensors. Soil sensors are able to measure soil moisture and temperature, and can be combined with Matter-based water valves or irrigation systems for automating watering.

Matter 1.5 includes new energy management features. Utilities, grid operators, and energy services can provide real-time and forecasted pricing, tariff, and carbon data with devices. Devices can use the information to estimate and report true energy costs and carbon impact. Better smart metering support provides more accurate cost and consumption tracking.

Now that the Matter 1.5 standard has been released, manufacturers will be able to develop new kinds of Matter devices, and platforms will be able to integrate support for those devices.


Article Link: Matter 1.5 Launches With Camera Support
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/11/20/matter-1-5-camera-support/
Wonder if HomePod updates were embargoed prior to the launch of this. So we might see them soon.
 
It makes quite a more of a sense to me now we're still waiting for the next-gen FaceTime-equipped HomePod as well as the new Apple TV, which I start to believe Apple might try to combine with a soundbar and a built-in Center Stage camera in its higher-end configuration.
 
Call me when Ring Doorbells have this and can integrate into the Home App, like they promised a decade ago already
 
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Matter was a nice idea but it's completely useless in reality.

The majority of IOT cannot be used with matter only, even if they fully support it, simply because the list of compatible feature is so small that it will never catch up with the brand ones.

Like take robot vacuum, what is even the point of matter compatibility? Without the ability to set-up and manage a map they are literally a paper weight. You have to manage pretty much everything for the brand's app and then maybe you can turn them on/off with matter.

Is this what "compatibility" means?

And then, because this is the situation, a lot of companies still want you to use their own bridge because they need a reliable way to manage their products and obviously they cannot rely on matter alone.

On top of this we also have the same iot platforms that sponsored matter in the first place completely ignoring it. Look at homekit, people where asking if homekit has matter 1.2 /3/4, everyone seems confused. Of course they are confused, apple DOESN NOT simply implement a version of matter, they implement pieces of versions of matter. Like maybe they are on matter 1.2 but they randomly add the support of 1 specific item from matter 1.4, with no logic, completely randomly.

So there's literally no difference in having matter or not having it. I would argue that right now it's easier to just keep using the brand's bridge + app, zigbee is really compatible with everything and has zero problems.
 
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So it will be 3 years until the new spec is updated for any actual shipping products. Matter should be renamed to Molasses. The core idea behind it is fantastic and I have converted as much as I can over to devices that use the standard. There's just so much more that could be done and it feels like the whole thing is just slow rolling to not actually have a fully functional cross platform standard.
 
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