Matter

Matter smart home standard launches with almost 200 certified devices, plans for cameras

Ben Schoon | Nov 3 2022 - 8:24 am PT

You’ve been hearing about it for ages now, but it’s finally coming. Following a launch event in Amsterdam earlier today, the Matter smart home standard is finally happening, and it’s arriving with almost 200 certified devices out of the gate.

The Matter 1.0 standard was first launched roughly a month ago, and the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), which controls that spec, is today launching Matter with some big promises and some big numbers. One of the biggest announcements comes in the reveal that there are 190 products that have received certification for Matter or are currently in the process of being certified.

As of this morning, that includes the Philips Hue Bridge, the network-connected device that controls Philips Hue bulbs and accessories. Support for Matter will come to the bridge and all of those devices via a coming software update.

Around the launch of Matter today, several other brands have come forward with their first products that will support the smart home standard, such as Eve and Aqara, as well as new products and updates coming from Nanoleaf and Amazon.

Matter, as it stands today, includes support for a variety of different devices, including motion blinds, occupancy sensors, weather devices, smart plugs, door locks, and lighting, but that’s apparently set to expand in the future. In a press release regarding today’s launch, the CSA teases “new device categories.” This includes security cameras, home appliances, and “advanced energy management,” as well as presence sensors, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and more.

Of course, Matter won’t truly arrive until these updates and new products start releasing. Google, for one, still needs to formally release Android’s native support for Matter which includes Fast Pair and the revamped Google Home app. Nest devices are also due to be updated with better Matter support.