Apple, Amazon and Google Smart Home Alliance Announces New 'Matter' Connectivity Standard

The Connectivity Standards Alliance, which includes major tech companies like Apple, Amazon, and Google, today announced the launch of "Matter," a new interoperable, secure connectivity standard designed for smart home devices.

matter smart home connectivity
Formerly known as "Project CHIP," Matter is a unified IP-based connectivity protocol that will be used to build and connect Internet of Things ecosystems. It is royalty-free and enables communications between a wide range of smart devices, plus it serves as a seal of approval to ensure that items built on this standard are reliable, secure, and able to work together.

With Matter, consumers and businesses can choose the brands they want in their smart home or commercial building and be confident they will work seamlessly. Homeowners, and especially those living in a smart home with multiple devices like smart locks, thermostats or smart speakers, can easily add new devices with a Matter mark using a simple setup code to connect their home as one. Businesses, particularly those that rely on connectivity, can count on one network to keep their operations running smoothly.

Matter ensures that smart home devices are compatible with smart home and voice services like Amazon Alexa, HomeKit, Google Assistant, SmartThings, and more, with the first specification of Matter running on existing networking technologies like Ethernet, WiFi, Thread, and Bluetooth Low Energy. Matter was designed with several key attributes in mind:

  • Simplicity - Easy to purchase and use. Simplifying connected experiences.
  • Interoperability - Devices from multiple brands work natively together. Providing greater compatibility.
  • Reliability - Consistent and responsive local connectivity.
  • Security - Maintaining secure connections. Robust and streamlined for developers and users.
  • Flexibility - Matter makes it easy for users to set up and control their devices with multiple ecosystems simultaneously.

The first devices that use Matter could be released in late 2021, and smart home device manufacturers are working on Matter-compatible light bulbs, plugs, outlets, thermostats, door locks, sensors, window coverings, TVs, and more.

Matter early adopters include Amazon, ASSA ABLOY, Comcast, Espressif Systems, Eve Systems, Google, Grundfos Holding A/S, Huawei, Infineon Technologies, LEEDARSON, Legrand, Nanoleaf, Nordic Semiconductor, NXP Semiconductors, Qorvo, Resideo, Schlage, Schneider Electric, Signify, Silicon Labs, SmartThings, Somfy, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments, Tuya Smart, ubisys, Wulian, and Zumtobel Group.

Top Rated Comments

Return Zero Avatar
25 months ago
Obligatory XKCD bit...



Attachment Image
Score: 56 Votes (Like | Disagree)
IAmGLaDOS Avatar
25 months ago
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought Thread was supposed to do this?
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
darkslide29 Avatar
25 months ago
Those “Big 3” playing nice will save us a lot of compatibility headaches down the road, allowing us to more easily use the platform of our choice. :)
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tagbert Avatar
25 months ago

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought Thread was supposed to do this?
Thread is the wireless connection standard like Bluetooth and Wifi. Matter/Chip is about communications and control of devices. it's more at the API level.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RumorConsumer Avatar
25 months ago
Erm.... firmware upgrade preaaaaase.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
brianjlambert Avatar
25 months ago

I did not see Phillips on this inital list.....?

I have TPLink and Phillips Hue devices so hopefully they will be a part of the group.
Phillips Hue is actually owned and run by Signify (which is part of the group). Phillips sold off this (and many other) divisions and just licenses its name.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 15 Pro Buttons CAD Leak

iPhone 15 Pro Low-Energy Chip to Allow Solid-State Buttons to Work When Device is Off or Out of Battery

Wednesday March 29, 2023 1:54 am PDT by
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will use a new ultra-low energy microprocessor allowing certain features like the new capacitive solid-state buttons to remain functional even when the handset is powered off or the battery has run out, according to a source that shared details on the MacRumors forums. CAD-based render of new solid-state buttons on iPhone 15 Pro models The source of this rumor is ...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2023 Event Taking Place June 5 to 9

Wednesday March 29, 2023 9:58 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 34th annual Worldwide Developers Conference will take place from Monday, June 5 to Friday, June 9. Like WWDC 2020, 2021, and 2022, WWDC 2023 will be an online event for the most part, and it will be open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple will provide online sessions and labs, which will allow...
iPhone 15 Pro Multi Purpose button Mute Switch Feature Green 2

iPhone 15 Pro Rumored to Feature Multi-Use Action Button Instead of Mute Switch

Wednesday March 29, 2023 7:28 am PDT by
iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models are rumored to feature a customizable Action button like the Apple Watch Ultra, according to a MacRumors forum member who leaked accurate details about the Dynamic Island on iPhone 14 Pro models last year. The source claimed the Action button will replace the Ring/Silent switch that has been included on every iPhone model since 2007. They did not...
iOS 16

Apple Releases iOS 16.4 With New Emoji, Safari Web Push Notifications, Beta Changes, Voice Isolation for Calls and More

Monday March 27, 2023 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 16.4, the fourth major update to the iOS 16 operating system that initially came out last September. iOS 16.4 comes two months after the launch of iOS 16.3, an update that added Security Keys for Apple ID. iOS 16‌.4 and iPadOS 16.4 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. It can take a few minutes...
Apple Music Classical

Apple Explains Why It Launched an iPhone App Dedicated to Classical Music

Monday March 27, 2023 8:54 pm PDT by
Apple today published a support document explaining why it decided to release a standalone Apple Music Classical app for classical music. In short, Apple says the app was designed to support classical music's complex metadata:Classical music is different. It has longer and more detailed titles, multiple artists for each work, and hundreds of recordings of well-known pieces. The Apple Music...
iOS 16

Apple Seeds First Betas of iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5

Tuesday March 28, 2023 10:15 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 16.5 and iPadOS 16.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a day after the launch of iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4. Registered developers can opt in to the betas by opening up the Settings app, going to Software Update, tapping on the "Beta Updates" option and toggling on the iOS 16 Developer Beta. Note that an...
home upgrade available feature

PSA: Apple Has Made Its New Home Architecture Update Available Again

Tuesday March 28, 2023 1:50 am PDT by
Apple has made the option to upgrade to new Home architecture available again with the release of iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, and macOS Ventura 13.3, after it temporarily pulled the update in December. After updating Apple devices to the latest software, users can once again opt to upgrade any homes set up in the Home app to the new Home architecture, which Apple says brings faster, more reliable ...