Updated Matter 1.2 Specification Supports New Device Types and Brings Performance Improvements

[MacRumors]

The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) that Apple is a member of today announced that an updated Matter 1.2 specification is available for device makers and platforms. Matter 1.2 adds support for additional device types and brings improvements to Matter. Matter is a smart home protocol that allows devices to work across multiple platforms, including HomeKit.

With Matter 1.2, Matter support can be added to refrigerators, standalone room air conditioners, dishwashers, laundry machines, robotic vacuums, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, air quality sensors, air purifiers, and fans.

Apple's HomeKit supports some of these device types such as air quality monitors, air purifiers, and smoke alarms, but Apple may need to implement HomeKit updates to add Matter 1.2 support.

Matter 1.2 also adds improvements for multi-unit switches and multi-light fixtures, along with semantic tags and improvements for device operational states, which should give device makers more options for more complex smart home products.

According to the CSA, Matter 1.2 includes enhancements to testing and certification, which will allow companies to bring products to market faster.

Matter 1.2 certification is open as of now, and the Matter 1.2 devices and improvements are expected to be available on the market later this year. More information on the changes can be found on the CSA website.

Article Link: Updated Matter 1.2 Specification Supports New Device Types and Brings Performance Improvements

 

[TehFalcon]

I still don’t understand how these Smart home standards work.

So are matter devices just automatically compatible with HomeKit (assuming it’s a device type HomeKit supports) or must the device still explicitly support HomeKit as well?

I’ve just resorted to using my Homebridge server on anything that doesn’t have native homekit support

 

[EmotionalSnow]

I still don’t understand how these Smart home standards work.

So are matter devices just automatically compatible with HomeKit (assuming it’s a device type HomeKit supports) or must the device still explicitly support HomeKit as well?

I’ve just resorted to using my Homebridge server on anything that doesn’t have native homekit support

Matter devices are compatible with anything else that speaks Matter. It's that simple. But no, they don't automatically support HomeKit — they can be controlled via the Home app though.

 

[beanbaguk]

I’m in the same boat. My Hue Bridge is giving me the option to upgrade, but if I do, it’ll reset all my scenes and settings. Why would I want to do this? I have 46 bulbs in my home!

 

[zach-coleman]

Still no camera support…

 

[jdawgnoonan]

I wonder how big the market is for people who closely follow these developments and buy new products accordingly. I believe that it is likely small and will stay small for some time as most of these devices are not things most people upgrade often. For instance, in my newly constructed house for which I bought all new medium to high end so called "Smart" appliances in early 2022 there is no chance at all that I will be replacing any of my so-called "Smart" appliances any time soon. If my refrigerator, oven, microswave, dishwasher, clothes washer or clothes dryer live for 20 years then I will be using them for 20 years. I simply do not understand the lifecycle of these standards or how in the long run they really even matter except for maybe for extremely niche (and likely rich) consumers (of which there really are not that many).

 

[zach-coleman]

I’m in the same boat. My Hue Bridge is giving me the option to upgrade, but if I do, it’ll reset all my scenes and settings. Why would I want to do this? I have 46 bulbs in my home!

I honestly have no clue because the Phillips Hue bridge already works with all smart home ecosystems, and doesn’t support Thread.

 

[dumastudetto]

I hope Apple is able to launch new products to take full advantage of this enhanced technology in the next year. Given Apple plays a major leadership role within this alliance, I'm sure they have already roadmapped some remarkable new products.

 

[R2DHue]

The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) that Apple is a member of today announced that an updated Matter 1.2 specification is available for device makers and platforms. Matter 1.2 adds support for additional device types and brings improvements to Matter. Matter is a smart home protocol that allows devices to work across multiple platforms, including HomeKit.

With Matter 1.2, Matter support can be added to refrigerators, standalone room air conditioners, dishwashers, laundry machines, robotic vacuums, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, air quality sensors, air purifiers, and fans.

Apple's HomeKit supports some of these device types such as air quality monitors, air purifiers, and smoke alarms, but Apple may need to implement HomeKit updates to add Matter 1.2 support.

Matter 1.2 also adds improvements for multi-unit switches and multi-light fixtures, along with semantic tags and improvements for device operational states, which should give device makers more options for more complex smart home products.

According to the CSA, Matter 1.2 includes enhancements to testing and certification, which will allow companies to bring products to market faster.

Matter 1.2 certification is open as of now, and the Matter 1.2 devices and improvements are expected to be available on the market later this year. More information on the changes can be found on the CSA website.

Article Link: Updated Matter 1.2 Specification Supports New Device Types and Brings Performance Improvements

Apple already “blew it” in the “smarthome/automation” market, failing to produce a cohesive product. I think they’re too late to catch up now.

Amazon dominates with Alexa — but has somehow managed to make it a colossal financial failure, reportedly losing the company $10 Billion last year alone!

So maybe it’s a Good Thing™ Apple has failed — unless Apple failed AND lost a ton of money. That would be the worst of both worlds. At least Amazon can somehow possibly find a way to monetize its now captive audience.

It’s hard to succeed when you’re the third or fourth name that comes to mind in any product category.

Most markets are a duopoly: Coke and Pepsi, McDonald’s and Burger King, Alexa and Google Home, etc.

Third place is nowhere.

Fourth or fifth place place is “outside the multiverse.”
˙

 

[DoogH]

I honestly have no clue because the Phillips Hue bridge already works with all smart home ecosystems, and doesn’t support Thread.

There isn't much advantage right now. But it just opens everything else up, so new apps/services can be created without needing buy-in from Hue.

Also, long term, it means that we can slowly deprecate the platform-specific implementations. This may take a long time, but it will lead to less needing to maintain a dozen code bases.

 

[DoogH]

Still no camera support…

This one is really hard, since many of them like to do AI image recognition. How do you allow AI learning, but then also keep it local, but also make it a unified standard, but also make it extensible?

It's tough!

 

[R2DHue]

I hope Apple is able to launch new products to take full advantage of this enhanced technology in the next year. Given Apple plays a major leadership role within this alliance, I'm sure they have already roadmapped some remarkable new products.

It’s hard to catch up to entrenched players who’ve already dominated — even on the merits of a superior product.

In product marketing “better” doesn’t necessarily win.
˙

 

[zach-coleman]

This one is really hard, since many of them like to do AI image recognition. How do you allow AI learning, but then also keep it local, but also make it a unified standard, but also make it extensible?

It's tough!

Considering how obvious and huge the complexity is, you think they would have made sorting this out somewhere close to their number 1 priority when making the standard in the first place.

 

[Strebor]

Not only for Matter 1.2 support does Apple need to update Homekit. Also for these bugs that have really become an issue since iOS/tvOS 16 and beyond:

• Many people are suffering the "homekit app and hubs do not know where homekit the network is located" bug, so location aware automations are broken
• The above gets even worse if you have multiple homes (even if they are many miles apart) so home switching is broken
• Timeout problem with multiple homekit hubs and (fixed) bluetooth homekit devices (door locks can't use WIFI with homekit) and it's not possible to assig a hub to a bluetooth device.
• Siri has become a joke when it comes to homekit, always asking if you mean "unique scene name" in home.. yes, Siri... [sigh]

 

[bradman83]

I still don’t understand how these Smart home standards work.

So are matter devices just automatically compatible with HomeKit (assuming it’s a device type HomeKit supports) or must the device still explicitly support HomeKit as well?

I’ve just resorted to using my Homebridge server on anything that doesn’t have native homekit support

Matter devices are compatible with anything else that speaks Matter. It's that simple. But no, they don't automatically support HomeKit — they can be controlled via the Home app though.

EmotionalSnow's answer is correct but I think some context is needed.

HomeKit is a framework and protocol for smart devices to communicate with Apple's proprietary Home app. Similar frameworks and protocols exist to communicate with Google, Amazon, and Samsung's respective home apps.

Smart devices have to be separately programmed to speak to Apple, Google, Amazon, and Samsung's respective ecosystems. Many devices settle on just Google and Amazon's.

Matter was developed as as sort of single, universal language that allows a smart device to speak to all of the major smart home platforms. Apple, Google, Amazon, and Samsung's apps speak both their native protocols and they speak Matter. As a result smart device manufacturers just need to program their devices to use Matter and the device can support all of the major smart home platforms.

So Matter is not HomeKit because HomeKit is just a protocol. Both Matter and HomeKit speak natively to Apple's Home app ecosystem, without the need for add-ons like HomeBridge.

 

[Fuzzball84]

I

I wonder how big the market is for people who closely follow these developments and buy new products accordingly. I believe that it is likely small and will stay small for some time as most of these devices are not things most people upgrade often. For instance, in my newly constructed house for which I bought all new medium to high end so called "Smart" appliances in early 2022 there is no chance at all that I will be replacing any of my so-called "Smart" appliances any time soon. If my refrigerator, oven, microswave, dishwasher, clothes washer or clothes dryer live for 20 years then I will be using them for 20 years. I simply do not understand the lifecycle of these standards or how in the long run they really even matter except for maybe for extremely niche (and likely rich) consumers (of which there really are not that many).

agree with your comments… some smart devices have projected lifespans of 15 or so years… no way am i replacing them just so they fit in with a new connectivity technology. But i do appreciate the improvements, for when i do get to that point where a replacement is neccesary.

No way do want to contribute to landfill or unnecessary manufacturing wastes.

 

[Squuiid]

I’m in the same boat. My Hue Bridge is giving me the option to upgrade, but if I do, it’ll reset all my scenes and settings. Why would I want to do this? I have 46 bulbs in my home!

Don’t do it. I did, and regret it, as do many others on Reddit. Seriously, just don’t.

 

[TokyoKiller]

I’m in the same boat. My Hue Bridge is giving me the option to upgrade, but if I do, it’ll reset all my scenes and settings. Why would I want to do this? I have 46 bulbs in my home!

Don't do it. I tried it and it was a pain, I ended up reverting HomeKit and resetting up everything from scratch.

 

[jimmyfox231]

Man I hope smart HQ works and Roborock. That would make everything in my home complete.

 

[nutmac]

Apple already “blew it” in the “smarthome/automation” market, failing to produce a cohesive product. I think they’re too late to catch up now.

Amazon dominates with Alexa — but has somehow managed to make it a colossal financial failure, reportedly losing the company $10 Billion last year alone!

While you are technically correct, most of Amazon's smart home devices rely on web services to operate. If the Internet or device maker goes out of business, your smart home device will become "dumb" or inoperable.

Apple insisted on smart home devices to talk to their Home hub directly, so they can operate even when the vendor goes out of business or without the Internet. Matter also share the same benefit.

 

[gund1234]

Still no camera support…

None of the security camera manufacturers want to support standard because they want revenue from subscription.
if you have Ring door bell you can just watch live if you don't sign up for subscription.
If you have nest door bell you can watch recordings from last 3 hours.
If you have Arlo and need smart notifications you need to subscribe, i have Arlo i get notifications when a shadow moves.

 

[bradman83]

I wonder how big the market is for people who closely follow these developments and buy new products accordingly. I believe that it is likely small and will stay small for some time as most of these devices are not things most people upgrade often. For instance, in my newly constructed house for which I bought all new medium to high end so called "Smart" appliances in early 2022 there is no chance at all that I will be replacing any of my so-called "Smart" appliances any time soon. If my refrigerator, oven, microswave, dishwasher, clothes washer or clothes dryer live for 20 years then I will be using them for 20 years. I simply do not understand the lifecycle of these standards or how in the long run they really even matter except for maybe for extremely niche (and likely rich) consumers (of which there really are not that many).

I think WiFi is a good comparison here, as we're on the cusp of WiFi 7 launching in 2024. There are tons of devices locked into earlier versions of WiFi, but the way the standard was developed there's backwards compatibility built in. Old devices can connect to newer WiFi networks, but without the advantages offered by the newer protocols. (My Roomba uses 802.11n/WiFi 4 from 15 years ago and still connects flawlessly to our fairly new WiFi 6E router). I would think Matter would be built the same way; old devices can still connect with the features available to them at the time.

 

[Premium1]

Ah another update that 90% of devices won't see/support...

 

[gund1234]

This one is really hard, since many of them like to do AI image recognition. How do you allow AI learning, but then also keep it local, but also make it a unified standard, but also make it extensible?

It's tough!

Apple can train HomeKit using videos probably but camera manufacturers don't want it.

 

[Dionte]

I hope EcoFlow adds support to the Wave 2 air conditioner. It would be so nice on a washer and dryer being able to ask Siri if one or the other is done.