Tech Update: Matter 1.0 means Black Friday is the perfect time to start your smart home
Have you ever tried to get a Ring doorbell to work together with an Apple smart speaker? Or an Echo speaker to pair with a Nest speaker? Chances are you didn’t get very far. Smart home devices may have exploded in popularity and adoption in recent years, and a new effort to integrate different devices into a single standard will push the market even further into the future.
But these devices can be expensive and create a system with the best smart home devices. (opens in a new tab) designed for your specific needs they can be even more. Fortunately, events like Black Friday make it much more feasible to do this on a budget, and you can check out our guide to this year’s best Black Friday deals for the best deals. And if you’re still not sure how Matter will really change things, read on.
Black Friday deals on Matter-enabled products
Matter 1.0 is ready, and big brands like Amazon, Google, and Samsung have already announced their full support for a new system that will make devices more compatible with each other. Due to the change, those who have been hesitant to jump right into the world of smart homes may feel more confident doing so.
With Black Friday deals arriving before the weekend, now is the time to find Matter-compatible products. Savings (big and small) are to be had on smart speakers, smart thermostats, TVs and more tuning in with the release of Matter 1.0. Below you’ll find a selection of the best deals we’ve seen so far.
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What Matter is already doing
After some delays and hiccups, Matter 1.0 was released in November 2022. That means it’s already working behind the scenes without the average consumer knowing anything has changed.
But our smart homes are about to get a lot easier to use. Think of the scenario above as one where different products from different brands spoke their own language. Matter will allow them to talk to each other, which in turn will mean they can work together for smoother routines and better interoperability.
For this to happen, companies large and small will need to participate, and that has already been happening. Amazon, Google, Apple and Samsung, arguably the big four behind the smart home boom of the last decade, have put their names behind Matter as the way forward, which is good news for all of us. It’s not just big companies: smaller companies and innovative new players in the market are also a big part of Connectivity Standards Alliance’s DNA.
A few products have already been announced to support Matter, including Apple’s 4K TV and HomePod mini, while dozens more have been announced. This includes leading smart speakers and displays from Amazon and Google, as well as the best TVs from LG and Samsung.
What’s next for matter?
In the future, smart home brands will start selling their Matter-enabled devices, while existing devices can be integrated into the new system through upgrades or hardware like bridges. Once this has happened, those smart doorbells and security cameras that previously only worked with a smart assistant (for example, Google Home) will later work with everything through Matter.
Of course, not everything will be able to be updated remotely, so we may end up in a place where consumers need to update their technology to work with the new standard. This will become clearer as time goes by, but we hope that the major brands make things as easy as possible for their customers.
For now, we can expect more and more smart home brands to announce compatibility or compatibility plans in the coming months. Those that have already announced plans include Amazon, Wiz, Nanoleaf, Philips Hue and IKEA.
How to detect Matter-compliant products
Start looking for the Matter logo on store products, and keep an eye out for announcements for the smart home devices you already own. Things are just getting started, but we expect progress to be fast and dense for the rest of 2022 and beyond. You can visit the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) (opens in a new tab) website for a complete list of certified products.
