Matter’s first update won’t light up your smart home, but the next one might
The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) is rolling out the first major update to the Matter standard. Well, it’s supposed to be a major update, but it’s more like a minor patch.
Matter 1.1, as itâs called, won’t add any new new device types to the support list, nor will there be any major changes to the individual platforms like Apple HomeKit. The CSA, instead, is making three relatively small changes (opens in new tab) affecting both companies and users alike, and those changes mostly affect the former.Â
Change number one is it is now easier for smart home manufacturers to get started with Matter. The standardâs specifications reportedly have been made clearer allowing for âbetter guidanceâ in growing âsupport for new device types.â The CSA has also made it easier for developers to certify their products so they can get into the hands of customers faster.Â
Finally, Matter 1.1 will be fixing a bug affecting Intermittently Connected Devices or ICD, which are âtypically battery-poweredâ gadgets like motion sensors and door locks. Moving forward, it will be less likely an ICD âwill be reported as offlineâ whenever a user or platform interacts with it. But, as far we understand the CSA, the bug isnât completely gone. The error can still happen.
And thatâs pretty much it for Matter 1.1. Two developer-centric changes and one for the users that doesnât solve the problem at all. It just lowers the chance of the error occurring.
Analysis: the hype is gone
This update is disappointing, to say the least. Itâs been seven months since Matter officially launched, and itâs pretty safe to say the hype surrounding the standard has effectively died. Roll out, too, has been slow. Google, for example, has only recently added Matter support to its Google Home app on iOS (opens in new tab). And it took Amazon nearly four months to finally roll out Matter to its Echo lineup.Â
Plus, multi-admin control is still a problem, according to The Verge (opens in new tab). It isnât easy to switch your gadget from one platform to another if itâs already connected to one, for instance. And that’s something that doesnât make any sense because the whole point of Matter â its reason for existence â is to have better interoperability between smart home platforms.
It appears the CSA is allowing smart home brands to update their individual platforms at their own discretion. The question is: when are they going to be updating? In all honesty, who knows?
The CSA states itâs going to remain committed to its goal of a âtwice-yearly release cycleâ for future updates. Itâs currently working on âthe next version of Matterâ, bringing in ânew features and device type support.â We contacted the CSA for more information on Matter 1.2, as weâll call it. This story will be updated at a later time.
If you want to know what works with the standard, check out TechRadarâs list of the smart home devices that play nice with Matter.