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

[TonyC28]

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

This is pretty much where I’m at. And I say that as someone with a HomeKit-driven smart home. If my Roborock vacuum pops up in HomeKit one day…cool. But I’m not seeking it out.

 

[SurferPup]

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!

Gives you something to do this weekend.

 

[SurferPup]

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

That would explain my garage light strips resetting in my last house. Nanoleaf (which can be purchased from Apple Store) will probably not have that issue which I have purchased for my next house.

 

[mazz0]

Great. I’ve always wanted to be able to check that my fridge exists without going to the kitchen.

 

[CloneBB]

Does it really matter?

 

[CloneBB]

Great. I’ve always wanted to be able to check that my fridge exists without going to the kitchen.

If I have a matter fridge and oven, i should be able say Siri, bake a pizza from the freezer and bring me a beer. That is automation i could support.

 

[Analog Kid]

Today I learned what the ligature control in the font menu does…

 

[tobybrut]

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.”
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View attachment 2300756

Apple has done a very poor job with HomeKit. However, after a few years and Matter becomes ubiquitous, it won't matter since all these entities like Google Home or HomeKit won't be necessary anymore. For all companies that support Matter, it won't "matter" what home system you're using, And that's a good thing. While I'm not at all surprised Apple was a founding member of Matter, I am still surprised Amazon and Google also were, despite their huge leads over everyone else.

 

[TroutDeep]

That font.

I think I'm having a seizure...

 

[tobybrut]

I've never been able to figure this out, but does Matter require IP6? The documentation I've found is vague on whether this is a recommended or required.

 

[ChrisA]

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

It the device suports Matter then it can be used be any controller thatsuports matter, like Apple, Samsung, Amazon or Google's. On short Matter is universal

This assumes both the device and controller are on the same version of Matter

Here is also the issue of which network is used. Devices can be either WiFi or Thread. Most people are already setup for WiFi. So they can use Matter-over-Wifi. To use Thread you'd need a thread "border router" to bridge Thread on to the local IP network.

 

[parameter]

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.”
˙
View attachment 2300756

You nailed it. Apple completely missed the boat and isn't even making an effort. And no, the Homepod doesn't count as anything that competes.

Amazon is the winner here, and will likely just continue expanding with Alexa. Google is runner-up. Apple is nowhere even on the stage, which is sad and very disappointing as they could dominate things if they tried but for whatever reason, they just don't seem to care about the massive space. Huge mistake.

 

[parameter]

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.

Alexa is the winner here, it just is. It will be a very tough battle for Apple to ever get that marketshare at this point. They needed to just release basically something like a cheap iPad Air, something with a screen that just sits on a stand.

Heck, just release the iPad Air on a Magsafe stand and at least call it a product and a day. That would have at least been something for people to have as the main "appliance", which is where the power really is.

 

[boss.king]

Whoever picked that typeface needs to go to jail.

 

[ChrisA]

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.

What do you mean? Only the consumer-facing companies you listed are like these, "real" security cameras do follow a standard. Once you get into more serious cameras, they become very much interchangeable and yo get many options for storing data other than subscription.

Here is one of a thousand examples

Amcrest 4K Outdoor Security IP Turret PoE Camera IP67 IP8M-T2599EW-AI-V3

EXPERIENCE ULTRA HD 4K – Stunning ultra-high quality 4K (8-Megapixel / 3840x2160) resolution featuring enhanced low light capability utilizing the latest CMOS image sensor and chipset. Super-wide 125° viewing angle allows you to cover more ground and keep more of what matters to you safe. Power...

amcrest.com

 

[Surf Monkey]

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 the point here is to make it easy for people who aren’t yet using smart home products to get in and set it all up. Those of us who have been using smart home things for years aren’t really going to benefit much.

 

[v3rlon]

Still no camera support…

How do you mean, exactly? My doorbell is supported by HomeKit secure video and works just fine. I was looking just yesterday at other cameras to replace my Blinks, saw a review of HomeKit compatible cameras.

Is there some feature (other than a monthly subscription) you were looking to get?

 

[jdawgnoonan]

I agree with that assessment. And maybe I am simply too old to care, so far all of my connected appliances do not bring any connected features that I find overly impressive after I set them up.

 

[zach-coleman]

How do you mean, exactly? My doorbell is supported by HomeKit secure video and works just fine. I was looking just yesterday at other cameras to replace my Blinks, saw a review of HomeKit compatible cameras.

Is there some feature (other than a monthly subscription) you were looking to get?

Matter doesn’t support cameras. No relation between Matter supporting video and HomeKit Secure Video existing.

 

[zach-coleman]

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.

This argument might be true but the Matter standard literally does not support it. Like even if you wanted to, with Matter as it currently exists you could not.

 

[v3rlon]

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.

Or, if the Amazon delivery driver reports hearing a racist comment from your doorbell, you could have Amazon cancel your account with no proof at all. Then, your smart home becomes useless. Also, the only way to appeal is to log into your account (the one you are locked out of because it is closed), and file it from there. IF you happen to have enough social media clout, you can get enough attention to have them reverse course after a couple of weeks, but we mere mortals are most likely just out of luck.

So there is that (you can search for the story online using your favorite search engine).

 

[kkee]

Nice that Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings now all support the main Matter device types - which makes easier if you have multiple hubs like me. Devices over platforms.

Current supports (full and partial):

• Light bulbs and light switches (including smart buttons)
• Plugs and outlets
• Locks
• Thermostats and other HVAC controllers
• Blinds and shades
• Safety and security sensors
• Media devices (TV)
• Bridges (Hue)

The following devices are on the roadmap:

• Home security cameras
• Robot vacuums
• Home appliances (white goods)
• Home router and wireless access points
• Garage door controller sensors
• Indoor air quality monitors and air purifiers
• Smoke and CO detectors
• Energy management features
• Water management features
• EV charging
• Ambient motion and presence sensing

Also since I am using Eve devices for most of my HomeKit, this is on their website:
"Matter, the new standard for smart home devices is here – and the first Eve devices are ready for you to upgrade! If you have purchased an Eve device in the past, and want to leverage Matter to use your Eve devices from an additional platform, you're eligible for a free firmware upgrade."

Now instead of "Hey Siri, check this month water meter." I can also do, "Hey Google, what is my current water meter" or "Alexa, give me my water report for current month" or "Bixley, show me my water usage this month."

 

[v3rlon]

Matter doesn’t support cameras. No relation between Matter supporting video and HomeKit Secure Video existing.

Well, my doorbell still works natively in HomeKit. There is no app. Maybe I am not smart enough to have it break. It tells me all the time, "Doorbell has detected someone who might be your wife" and so on.

I am happy with whatever not support I am getting for as long as it keeps working like this.

 

[tobybrut]

How do you mean, exactly? My doorbell is supported by HomeKit secure video and works just fine. I was looking just yesterday at other cameras to replace my Blinks, saw a review of HomeKit compatible cameras.

Is there some feature (other than a monthly subscription) you were looking to get?

Matter doesn’t support cameras. The whole point of Matter is that you can buy any brand and it should work. Right now, HomeKit is limited in the cameras that support it. Camera support in the Matter spec would open the door to just about every camera out there, whether it is an Alexa, Google Home, or Samsung supporting camera. My current outdoor cameras are Eufy and I’d like to get away from them after their security scandal, but there are few options available that support HSV.

 

[zach-coleman]

Alexa is the winner here, it just is. It will be a very tough battle for Apple to ever get that marketshare at this point. They needed to just release basically something like a cheap iPad Air, something with a screen that just sits on a stand.

I genuinely cannot stand Alexa. Her voice is creepy sounding and she constantly is throwing out irrelevant statements when you ask for things, and the smart screens are barely anything more than ad displays that you for some reason have to pay for. Google is the actual winner, but I stick to HomeKit since I’m pretty entrenched with Apple devices. The only things I’m dissatisfied with are no device with a screen, and Siri being bad at searching the web. Everything else is fine.