Google announces that it is preparing to deploy the Matter protocol on its devices. Created by a consortium of manufacturers, this new “language” will put an end to the incompatibility of objects with each other.
Announced in 2019, the Matter protocol excites as much as it annoys. Constantly pushed back, Matter fuels the hopes of people who want to connect their home, but also disappoints them every time. It must be said that at the connected home level, the situation is quite catastrophic today. Between the objects that can only be controlled by Bluetooth, those that require a hub connected to its Internet box and the incompatibilities between the three ecosystems supposed to centralize everything (Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa and Google Home), it is better to know about it to program the connected house ideal. Matter is supposed to fix all this by offering a single protocol for the connected home, which all manufacturers have agreed to adopt.
Since October 1, 2022, Matter has finally been finalized. Apple is currently testing the protocol with the beta of iOS 16.1 while Google, during a discussion with the press, formalized the arrival of Matter on its devices in the next few weeks. The promises are immense, starting with the compatibility of all its objects already released with all ecosystems.
“Hey Siri, turn down my Nest thermostat”
At Google, the launch of Matter will take place in two stages:
- Starting in the fall, the brand will update all of its existing objects to make them work with Matter. Google Home speakers, Google Nest and Nest Wifi routers will be able to serve as a Matter bridge. This means that they will take care of managing communication between the different devices in the house using the Thread protocol. Things like the Nest Thermostat, Google Motion Sensors, or the Nest Smoke Detector will work with Apple HomeKit and Amazon Alexa after they’ve been updated. Google confirmed it to us.
- In the first quarter of 2023, the new objects marketed by Google will be compatible with Matter “out of the box”. When plugging them into an outlet for the first time, they’ll send a pop-up to your smartphone to get set up without having to download an app. No need to add them manually in Google Home Where Apple Home.
Only products not supported: cameras. Unfortunately, the CSA (Connectivity Standards Alliance) decided not to make them compatible until the second version of Matter. An Amazon Ring connected intercom will therefore remain exclusive to Amazon Alexa for several months/year, which is inevitably regrettable. Same thing for surveillance cameras, we will have to wait.
And the other brands?
To our knowledge, Google is one of the first to communicate on the deployment of Matter, even if other manufacturers have already formalized support for their devices in the future. Philips, with its Hue and WiZ bulbs, has already said that it will update its entire ecosystem with an update to its bridge (and future objects should be able to work without). Not everyone will probably be ready by the end of 2022, but the interoperability of products with each other is well planned. Of course, not everyone will be entitled to an update. It is likely that the first connected home customers will keep incompatible products.
To accompany the arrival of Matter, Google is currently testing a new “Home” application designed to more easily control objects and create automations. Matter could make the connected home sexy, provided everything goes well.
