Matter

Matter inches closer to its formal debut, as 1.0 standard launches and certification opens

Ben Schoon | Oct 4 2022 - 9:00 am PT

The next step in building out the smart home is coming with the Matter standard, and it continues to make big promises. Today, the Matter 1.0 standard is officially launching and opening up certification, one of the last remaining steps before the formal launch of Matter for consumers.

The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) today announced that the Matter 1.0 specification has been released and, in turn, certification is open for Matter devices. This will allow companies making smart home products for the Matter standard to finalize products before opening sales to the public.

CSA explains:

As part of the Matter 1.0 release, authorized test labs are open for product certification, the test harnesses and tools are available, and the open-source reference design software development kit (SDK) is complete – all to bring new, innovative products to market. Further, Alliance members with devices already deployed and with plans to update their products to support Matter can now do so, once their products are certified.

Google, of course, is one of the several big brands pushing Matter support for the future of the smart home. Earlier today, the company announced that updates to its speakers, smart displays, and routers would improve their ability to control Matter devices. The brand new Nest Wifi Pro also includes support for being a Matter hub, and the company also showed off a fresh look at how you’ll be able to set up Matter devices from Android.

Matter 1.0 will support smart home devices including lighting, HVAC, sensors, door locks, media devices, electrical, and window coverings. Devices will be connected using a mix of Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Thread, and Bluetooth Low Energy.

There’s still no firm release date for when Matter will be available to consumers, but it’s clear things are moving along.