Amazon has rolled out a major update for the support of its new smart home standard. They have introduced Matter to over 100 million smart speakers, as well as allowing the Alexa iOS app to function better. It has now become easier to connect to any smart home device.
Amazon launched Matter late last year, taking a slow approach to ensure the update worked well prior to releasing it to their huge customer base. Now, Alexa is Matter-ready. This Echo smart speaker now allows the use of a Thread border router. It can support Thread devices such as Nanolead smart lights and Eve smart plugs.
You can also now use any iPhone device to introduce Matter to your home.
Matter was only previously activated over WiFi, and you could only set it up with Alexa via an Android phone. It can now be used on all smart speakers such as the Echo Dot, Echo, Echo Plus.
The total amount of Alexa Matter controllers now equals 20.
The newest updates were announced via a blog post made by Amazon director of smart home, Marja Koopmans. She detailed the changes to the Works with Alexa certification requirements for any Matter devices.
There will only be one more device added to the current three supported by Matter, sensors. Alexa will now work with Matter-compatible plugs, lighting, sensors, and switches. However, Matter itself supports blinds, shades, motion and contact sensors, thermostats, televisions, and streaming video players.
Connor Rice, spokesperson for Amazon has stated that they are collaborating with partners to support additional device types, and they will become available once they are ready.
This platform has been reported to not support bridges in Matter. Phillip Hue lights do not work with Alexa over Matter. Aqara devices will also be bridged to Matter through the Zigbee hub.
Rice has mentioned that “bridging is part of the plan for Matter support.”
Matter was developed by Google, Amazon, Apple, and Samsung among others, and is designed to fix the biggest issues relating to smart home devices, such as security, interoperability, reliability, and setup.
Matter works over three protocols, ethernet, WiFi and Thread, and are able to communicate directly to each other without using the cloud. They are controlled by voice assistants, and any compatible app.
Matter now brings full local control, security, simpler setup, and an option to use Thread devices, to Amazon Alexa users.
Thread was introduced as a wireless protocol designed specifically for smart home devices. It has a low-power, low-latency mesh system that is local to the home and can communicate through the internet using a Thread border router.
CEO of Eve Systems, Jerome Gackel has said, “I’m extremely excited about bringing our devices to Alexa customers. One of our biggest challenges being at the forefront of bringing the first Matter-over-Thread devices to customers’ homes is to ensure they have the right infrastructure at home to connect to our devices. With Alexa’s WWA badge and Thread support on millions of Echos already in customers’ homes, creating this seamless customer journey will be vastly accelerated.”
Another announcement made by Amazon is that it is enabling the Frustration Free Setup feature for Matter devices. Other companies are also working towards the enabling of this option such as, Aqara, Leedarson, Nanoleaf, Cync, Sengled, TP-Link, and Yeelight.
Eve was one of the first to offer this option, starting with Eve Energy, Eve Motion, and Eve Door.
Matter is being introduced as a new way to turn setting up smart home devices into a simple task light a light bulb or plug.
