Amazon is the latest smart home company to roll out Matter support to its devices. 17 different Alexa-integrated devices will be joining the Connectivity Standards Alliance's interoperability system including some of the best Alexa speakers, like the Echo Dot with Clock (5th gen).
Everyone’s home is unique and features a litany of different connected devices, which is why major companies such as Amazon, Apple and Google have signed on as Matter members. With Matter, those who have Alexa devices, Google Assistant compatible devices and more can control them all in the same smart home network, delivering a massive improvement in terms of interconnectivity and convenience.
For consumers, this is great news, as it takes some of the uncertainties out of shopping for smart home devices. Now, when you go to buy an Echo speaker or other Matter-certified device, it'll bear an official badge. This way you'll know whether a certain smart light bulb, smart lock or smart thermostat can be controlled with your smart speaker.
Plus, now that users are not tied to one ecosystem, the choice of products is much larger and that should lead to more innovation. We've already learned how Samsung SmartThings plans to stand out, for example.
What Matter means for your Amazon smart home devices
Amazon has also confirmed that it introduced Matter support for a host of its smart home accessories such as bulbs and plugs in a way similar to its “works with Alexa” program. But it's important to recognize that we're not quite at a one-system-fits-all point just yet. The Alexa iOS app does not yet support Matter, while Amazon has not added Thread integration to its devices.
Were it to be introduced, Thread — a wireless mesh protocol — would allow smart home devices to be used even without an internet connection. With Amazon stating this is just the first stage of their Matter ambitions, we could soon see Thread support addressed.
For now, with the added connectivity of Matter, it might be worth adding some of the best smart home devices to your setup.
