Matter 1.0 means Black Friday is the perfect time to start your smart home
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Have you ever tried to run a Ring doorbell alongside 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 push to integrate several devices into one standard will push the market even further into the future.
But these devices can be expensive and build a system with the best smart home devices (opens in new tab) designed for your specific needs can be even more. Fortunately, events like Black Friday make it much more feasible to do so on a budget, and you can check out our guide to this year’s best Black Friday deals for the best bargains. And if you’re still not sure how Matter will actually change things, read on.
Black Friday deals on Matter compatible products
Matter 1.0 is ready and major brands such as Amazon, Google and Samsung have already announced their full support for a new system that allows devices to be more compatible with each other. Because of the shift, those who have been hesitant to fully step into the smart home world may feel more secure doing so.
With the arrival of Black Friday deals for the weekend, now is the time to find Matter compatible products. There are savings (big and small) to be had on smart speakers, smart thermostats, televisions and more that tune into the Matter 1.0 release. Below is a selection of the best deals we’ve seen so far.
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What Matt is already doing
After some delays and setbacks, Matter 1.0 was launched 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 more user-friendly. Think of the previous landscape as one in which different products from different brands all spoke their own language. Matter allows them to talk to each other, which in turn means they can work together for more seamless routines and better interoperability.
For this to happen, companies both large and small need to get involved, and they already have. Amazon, Google, Apple and Samsung – arguably the big four behind the smart home boom of the past decade – have all put their names to Matter as the way forward, which is good news for all of us. It’s not just the big companies, smaller companies and innovative new market players are a big part of the DNA of the Connectivity Standards Alliance.
Some products have already been announced as being compatible with Matter, including Apple’s 4K TV and HomePod mini, with dozens more announced. This includes the main 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 devices with Matter enabled, while existing devices can be integrated into the new system through updates or hardware such as bridges. Once that has happened, those smart doorbells and security cameras that previously only worked with one smart assistant (e.g. Google Home) will soon work with everything via Matter.
Of course, not everything can be updated remotely, so we could get to a place where consumers need to upgrade their technology to work with the new standard. This will become clearer over time, but we expect big brands to make it as easy as possible for their customers.
For now, we can look forward to more and more smart home brands announcing compatibility or plans for compatibility in the coming months. Those that have already announced plans include Amazon, Wiz, Nanoleaf, Philips Hue and IKEA.
How to recognize Matter compatible products
Look for the Matter logo on products in the store and keep an eye out for announcements for the smart home devices you already own. Things are just getting started, but we expect the rest of 2022 and beyond to see rapid progress. You can visit the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) (opens in new tab) website for a full list of certified products.