WHAT’S THE MATTER?
The days of your home’s smart devices not communicating with each other are over
Since the smart home first became a viable proposition, getting devices working happily and reliably together has been trickier than it should’ve been: Apple, Samsung, Google, Amazon and others all have their own ideas about the protocols that pieces of hardware should use when talking to each other, which leaves you with multiple apps on your phone and a smart home that’s a collection of isolated gadgets operating independently.
This is where Matter comes in: it’s been developed as a standard to bring together all the disparate smart home devices on the market today, and get them communicating properly with each other. It should mean that you don’t have to worry about buying a new smart light that doesn’t work with what you already have installed – as long as everything is Matter compatible, you’re good to go.
As well as all of your door locks, smart lights and room sensors chatting to each other in the same language, the adoption of Matter should improve smart home security too, because if one device gets compromised then the others are going to know about it. There are some big names behind Matter, too. The big tech giants we mentioned earlier – Apple, Samsung, Google and Amazon – are all in, as are hundreds of smart home tech companies, including LG, Arlo, Eve and Signify (which makes the Philips Hue lights).
There’s no central app or hub when it comes to Matter: the standard is something that these tech companies build into their products, and then you can use your choice of interface (from the Apple Home app to a
Google Nest speaker) to control everything. Behind the scenes, Matter makes use of Wi-Fi, Ethernet Bluetooth and other smart home protocols called Thread and Weave.
Version 1.0 of the Matter standard was published in October 2022, so we’re now starting to see a decent number of Matterready devices go on sale. Some existing hardware devices are being updated to work with Matter too – that includes certain smart home hubs, which then covers all the devices that connect to them.
The plan is for a Matter version update to come along twice a year, and while it’s early days at the moment there’s already a lot out there to get started with your Matter-enabled smart home. With so many big names behind it, the hope is that dysfunctional smart homes can be left in the past.
GOOGLE NEST LEARNING THERMOSTAT
The original Nest Thermostat was one of the first major smart home devices to appear on the market, showing the value of automating your central heating and efficiently saving energy over time. The latest version is available in a variety of finishes, and after a week of using it, you should find that it’s able to program itself.
$306, store.google.com
SWITCHBOT BLIND TILT
Matter-enabled devices can make your existing kit smarter as well, as is the case with the SwitchBot Blind Tilt. You attach it to your existing louvre blinds, and as if by magic, you can then control them with your phone with exact precision. As a bonus, the device can be charged up with solar power,
meaning less time manually charging. $149, switch-bot.com
EVE SHUTTER SWITCH
At the time of writing, the Eve Shutter Switch is still ‘coming soon’, but when it does arrive it’ll attach to your existing roller shutters to give you all kinds of extra
functionality. You can open and shut the shutters manually, have them automatically shift based on sunrise and sunset times, and also operate them while away from home. €99.95 (about $160), evehome.com
MIDEA 2-IN-1 FAN PURIFIER
Another device that is expected to go on sale soon, the Midea 2-in-1 fan purifier will keep one of your rooms cool, well ventilated and free from pollutants. You’ll be able to control the device using the mobile app or via the controls on the front of the unit, and it’ll play nicely with the other temperaturecontrolling kit in your home.
$TBC, midea-group.com
AQARA U100 SMART LOCK
The Aqara U100 Smart Lock highlights a problem with Matter-enabled smart locks right now – in that few of them are available in Australia. But it demonstrates the potential of these sorts of devices, with support for tapto-unlock from a phone or watch, and a bunch of useful automations for you to take advantage of.
$399, aqara.com
SWITCHBOT LOCK
The SwitchBot Lock is tidily designed and straightforward to install, and works with a variety of existing door locks to upgrade
them to smart devices. There are seven different ways to unlock the SwitchBot Lock, from using a voice command, to tapping it with a smartwatch, to using a Bluetooth
connection from your phone. $149, switch-bot.com
YALE ASSURE LOCK SL
The Assure Lock SL is simple to install and use, and gives you just about everything you could want from a smart lock: easy access
with your phone or the touchpad, guest access for friends and family, and no more need for your keys. You can of course keep track of when the lock is opened during the
day too, for extra peace of mind. $310, yalehome.com
TEDEE GO
At the time of writing, the Tedee Go hasn’t been updated to support the Matter standard, but it’s expected to do so soon. It’s another reliable smart lock that takes minutes to install, and you can then have your door unlocking and locking automatically as you come and go. Giving others temporary access is easy as well.
$170, tedee.com