I have 50+ devices already in HomeKit thanks to Homebridge, none of which are Matter nor HomeKit compatible.
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Updated Matter 1.2 Specification Supports New Device Types and Brings Performance Improvements
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My issues with HomeKit are device compatibility - if I'm buying a smart device, I want to be able have access to the best options, not be constrained by what supports HK, which is a much smaller subset. Whilst I've managed to get most of my smart devices sat on HomeKit using HomeBridge, that's not ideal. My second issue is the limited device types - I've got devices like a robot vacuum and smart washing machine that aren't supported types. Again, it's possible to 'force' them into HomeKit with HomeBridge, but by then it starts to get pretty ugly and certainly not a swept-up home automation experience.
Hopefully though, Matter is going to see these issues go away - or more accurately, will see me being able to migrate away from the limitations of HomeKit whilst still using the Home infrastructure.
Sure, but how optimal is that compared to what Matter can offer? For example, I have my smart washing machine in Home via HomeBridge, but it's a series of about 9 different switches which have to be toggled individually depending on what I want it to do, like some sort of 1950s supercomputer, and even then I don't get the full functionality of the native app.
HomeBridge is fine for the geeks amongst us, but hopefully Matter will finally pave the way for more widespread adoption of HA, which in turn increases the incentives for manufacturers to incorporate smart functionality into their products.
Once you move any automations you have, delete the Hue hub from homekit.I was very surprised that my Hue Hub (which is a few years old now) has upgraded firmware that supports Matter. Duplicated every light in the Home app (thankfully only got 12 😂. Now to figure out what Matter devices are worth getting
Were you added to someone’s Home? This happened to my partner ALL the time until we deleted her “default” home and made the home I shared her the only one. Kind of silly when her “home” had no scenes and no devices so not sure why Siri needed clarification
Yeah, that's great. Aside from the fact you need to invest over $500 in the DM Pro hardware. (I know because I have a DM Pro and four Unifi AP's).
Then you need RTSP compatible cameras, a decent 4TB hard disk designed for camera recordings (WD do one), so add another $200 on top, and then your time. A Unifi camera is about $300-$400 for the lower grade ones. An RTSP compatible camera costs about $150 more or less. My time is over $400 per day, and I see myself doing at least 2 days worth of config, so that's $800. (Nobody ever looks at this). So far, we're at about $1800, maybe more when you add cabling and installation costs.
Ring Protect Plus on the other hand, charges me $100 per year. That's it. I just install (10 mins), configure (20 mins), and it works. The camera costs about $80 each.
However you look at it, the cost is a fraction of what you would pay for a Unifi system. In fact, my mother in law has a Reolink system, which is much cheaper than a Unifi service and it's also RTSP compatible, but for her 6 cameras, 4TB PVR and the installation, she spent about $1,500. I will say the cameras are astonishingly good as they are 4K and the picture is phenomenal, but that's still $1500 vs $480, plus $100 per year. (In that budget you get 10 years subscription).
Short of the long, you get better systems, but the reality is the subscription, really isn't that bad when you put it all into context.
I'm yet to find a single matter compatible bulb in my country, smart home accessories are honestly a joke atm. Everything works with Alexa and google but I don't need my house connected to their servers, non matter products need to be banned from market.
Yeah it drives people ****ing crazy is what it does. This is worse than comic sans.
I also share my HomeKit hone with my partner (and viceversa) and both our homes have devices so Siri asks for confirmation every single time about which home we want to do the action with. Take a guess, the one where I am when I send the command? If not and I do indeed want to switch off the light in a different home I would specify. Also we purposeful chose unique names for rooms and devices so there would be no ambiguity anyway. But Siri doesn’t care and asks regardless for confirmation. The stupidest virtual assistant in existence.
Yeah, annoying as all get out. And to the point about where you are when you send the command: isn't that what location services are for, Apple?
Maybe it has improved over the past 2-3 years, but I never really used HomeKit in the first place. It never worked that well for me.
Problem is Matter still requires expensive certification, so unless a manufacturer can offer some unique feature which they can charge a recurring extortion fee for, there is no incentive for a manufacturer of a commodity devices with low margins to spend the $ on certification and continued support.
No, they don’t see returns elsewhere, hence the $10 billion loss. There is no gaming analogy equivalent offering possible with Alexa that has the potential to sell even as poorly as the worst performing console game. They tried partnering with companies for Alexa skills… if someone said “Buy me a Domino’s pizza” Amazon could get a kickback. But they stopped posting sales targets in 2020 because of lack of use.
Their Big Idea was to make money when people use their devices, not when they buy them (so alllll those speakers were at cost, no profit there). They thought folks would buy things via Amazon with their voice, but when something as simple as “HDMI cable” has a wide variety of options, it’s unlikely anyone will purchase unless they can see pictures and read reviews. As Amazon still has a wide selection of “everything”, it’s unlikely that’s going to change anytime soon.
I'd find value in knowing if the fridge or freezer door wasn't shut properly, whether either has lost power, or whether the temp has changed. I've occasionally looked for solutions, but have not found anything I like.
I agree and hate Alexa as well. I'd love to go with just HomeKit, but to use it in an effective way, Eg. in the way the whole world uses Alexa, it needs an always-on and always in one-spot type product (Eg. Alexa devices) and not just via your iPhone or screenless Homepod.
That's the point I'm trying to make and I think is the most important part that Apple completely failed on. Most people want/need to see, and not just hear from say your iPhone's Siri.
Alexa is a nightmare, but it's still the most widely used home device out there and will only grow. I also agree that Google is a big winner here as well, they're behind on the adoption part - I'd have to look up that stat to see what the install base is, but I doubt it's anywhere near Alexa. But at least they're trying!
Apple is not trying whatsoever.
They surely wanted an integration of Alexa + Amazon Basics, funneling people into buying the stuff that they get the biggest profit on, but unfortunately for them it does seem like nobody orders anything via Alexa. I sure wouldn’t…
That would be handy, although you’d want an alert, you wouldn’t want to have to check the Home app. And if they have a sensor to tell the door’s open then they might as well just beep - they could have solved that problem decades ago come to think of it.
Can you imagine?
“Alexa, order an Apple TV 4K model A2843”
2 days later you get a Firestick because it was “promoted”
Their doorbell looks amazing but I have no way of getting PoE to door frame without cables