The Matter standard is a new way to connect smart home devices to one another. It was developed by the Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF) and is meant to be an open-source alternative to competing standards like Zigbee and Bluetooth.
The idea behind Matter is that it will allow devices from different manufacturers to work together seamlessly, which means that you can use your
If this is your first time hearing about the new Matter standard, then don’t worry. This article will explain everything you need to know about the new Internet of Things (IoT) standard and answer many of the most common questions that people have about Matter.
What’s The Problem with Smart Home Standards Today?
The problem with smart home standards today is that they are not truly universal. In fact, the smart home industry is currently fragmented into many different standards, including ZigBee, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. Each of these protocols uses its own wireless frequency to communicate with smart devices, and each has different strengths and weaknesses.
For example, Bluetooth is limited in range and speed, but it’s very low power and can work through walls. ZigBee has a longer range than other protocols, but it’s also slower than Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. And Wi-Fi is great for connecting devices to the internet, but it can be expensive to implement if you have lots of devices in your home.
What is Matter?
The Matter standard is an open platform that makes it easier to build smart devices. It allows you to connect your device with the IoT and with other smart devices. Currently, there are many competing smart home standards, which means that it’s difficult to build a smart home without relying on one single brand. But, with Matter, all of your devices will work together seamlessly, ensuring a better, more intelligent smart home ecosystem.
The new Matter standard for smart devices is also important for developers because it will help to make the Internet of Things more accessible and less expensive. Right now, getting into IoT development requires a lot of time and money; plus, to develop smart home apps and products, you need expensive technical software and equipment.
The Matter standard for smart devices will allow developers to create new products without having to invest in specialized hardware or software from the start. This means that anyone could use the Matter platform to create their own connected device, which could then be sold on any number of online marketplaces with no need for additional investment.
The ability for anyone to create a connected device without having to invest in specialized hardware or software can revolutionize the Internet of Things because it means that there will be no barriers between consumers and developers. Consumers won’t need specialized equipment; they’ll just need a phone or tablet with an app like Matter Connect installed on it.
What Makes Matter Different?
Matter is different than other standards in that it’s not controlled by one company or organization. It’s an open-source technology, meaning that anyone can contribute ideas to its development and use it in their products.
Matter was created by a group of home automation experts to create a new standard for interoperability. This means that devices from different companies will be able to communicate with each other seamlessly and easily, allowing you to control all of your smart devices through one app or device, even if they were made by different manufacturers!
It’s clear that we are moving in the direction of a more connected future, and so it’s logical to assume that a universal standard will be beneficial for everyone moving forward. Not only will this prevent any one tech giant from gaining a monopoly, but it will also ensure that consumers are free to build out their smart home with the products they like regardless of who manufactured them.
When Will Matter Arrive?
Matter was originally slated to be rolled out at the end of 2020, but there have been several delays with the project. These delays are in part due to numerous technological challenges involved with merging all of the current smart home devices into one compatible standard. However, as testing is deployed, new challenges are being discovered, and each one requires time and a lot of work to solve.
So, all we can say right now is that Matter is coming soon and that when it does arrive, the smart home universe will be much better equipped and infinitely more versatile, which is a great thing for consumers. All we can do for now is watch and wait, but it shouldn’t be too much longer before all of your smart home devices are compatible with each other.
What Will Happen To Zigbee, Z-Wave, And Thread?
A lot of people are wondering what will happen to Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Thread when the new Matter standard is released, and although we can’t say for sure, we can offer some very educated guesses.
When the new Matter standard is released, it will be a good thing for all three of these protocols because it will mean that all three are supported on the same hardware. That means that you can use any of them in your home automation system without having to choose which one you want to use.
If you want to use Zigbee or Z-Wave products with your Matter hub, you’ll be able to do so after the release of the new standard. You’ll also be able to use Thread products with your Matter hub after its release.
The most important thing to remember is that Matter is being developed on top of these existing standards. That means that your existing devices won’t become obsolete, but rather they will have even more support and increased functionality thanks to the open-source nature of Matter.
How Are Google, Apple, Samsung, And Amazon Involved?
Now that you know what Matter is, the next question is: What are Google, Apple, Samsung, and Amazon doing with it? The answer to this question lies in the fact that each of these companies has its own proprietary protocols for smart home devices but they are all collaborating on the new Matter standard.
In addition to these efforts in standardization by technology giants themselves, an organization called The Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) is also working hard toward bringing wireless power transmission capabilities to many different types of devices, including smartphones and tablets as well as other electronics like appliances or even robots!
When Matter is released, all of the smart home products produced by these tech giants will be able to communicate with each other using one Matter hub, which means that for the first time ever, you will be able to have your Google Nest communicate with your Samsung Smart TV, and you’ll be able to control all of these things through your iPhone or Amazon Alexa device.
What Happens To Existing Smart Home Devices?
You may be wondering how the new IoT standard will affect your existing smart home devices. You can rest assured that they will continue to work as they have before. You can also continue to add new devices to your network, which means you’ll be able to control them with your existing ones or vice versa.
For example, if you buy a new light switch that uses Zigbee, it will still work with any Zigbee device in your network like a thermostat or door lock, and vice versa! Your current lineup of products will also be supported by future devices that support HomeKit or Thread-certified Z-Wave technology.
The only thing you will need to purchase to gain the additional features and functions supported by the new Matter standard is a Matter hub, which will essentially act as the go-between communicating with all of your other smart home devices which are currently using different standards such as Zigbee, or Thread.
Should You Wait To Buy New Smart Home Gadgets?
If you’re thinking about purchasing a smart home gadget, should you wait until Matter is fully rolled out? The short answer is no. The longer answer is that it depends on what kind of device you want to buy.
For example, if you want to buy something like an internet-connected light bulb, then there’s no need to wait for Matter because these devices are already compatible with most current standards (such as Zigbee).
But if the product in question uses Bluetooth LE or Wi-Fi Direct (or both), then it will be better supported once Matter hits the market. Other low-power and high bandwidth devices, such as those offering high-speed networking between neighbors, will benefit from using the new matter standard too.
Conclusion and Recommendations
The new Matter standard for smart home devices is a promising development that has big implications for future smart home products. Its ability to support many different devices in the same ecosystem is unique and opens up the possibility of a much more decentralized system of smart home control. We’re looking forward to seeing how this standard develops in the coming months and years.
What’s clear is that the future looks promising in terms of interconnectedness. By being able to purchase any smart home device you want without having to worry about who made it or whether or not it will work with your existing lineup of products, you will be able to build the smart home system of your dreams, which is certainly a huge leap forward in terms of how people will interact with smart devices going forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Matter a company?
Matter is not a company. Matter is a set of standards that will help to ensure the interoperability of devices. It represents an ambitious challenge to change how smart devices work, from how we interact with them, to how they are built and identified.
Will Matter cost money?
Matter has certainly required a huge investment from a number of the world’s largest tech giants and will likely require ongoing funding after it is launched. However, for consumers, Matter will not cost much money; all you will need to do is purchase a Matter hub so that all of your existing smart home devices can communicate with each other.
Who owns Matter?
Matter was created by several large tech companies in partnership with each other. Matter is open-sourced, which means that no one company owns control of the new standard; rather, anybody can use Matter to develop smart devices and software.
Is the new Matter standard a good thing?
Yes, the new Matter standard is a good thing for both developers and consumers. For developers, it means that they can work in a single language for all their projects. This will allow them to write more code in less time and be more productive. It will also help them get their apps out faster, which will mean more sales for them.
For consumers, it means that they can expect their apps to perform as well on any device as they do on their own devices. This means that they won’t need to worry about whether an app will run smoothly on their phone or tablet; they can just download it and know that it’ll work no matter what hardware they’re using at the time.
