The Matter smart home protocol is delayed. According to a blog entry by the responsible Connectivity Standards Alliance, delays in the development of the SDK in particular mean that the planned release window for 2021 cannot be kept.
Matter’s specifications are complete, writes the Connectivity Standards Alliance CSA in their blog entry. The development of the SDK and the elaboration of the certification program will therefore take some more time. The new schedule: According to the CSA, the first devices are expected in the first half of 2022.
Matter for more compatibility
Matter (formerly Chip) is a connection protocol for the smart home that is intended to make devices from different manufacturers compatible with one another in the future. As a uniform connection standard, all Matter devices should run smoothly with Alexa, HomeKit or Google Assistant. This should make it easier for users to set up the smart home – due to the numerous different standards, a certain amount of specialist knowledge or research is currently necessary.
In addition to Bluetooth Low Energy, the Matter standard also supports Wi-Fi and the IPv6-based radio standard Thread. Other systems such as Ethernet or cellular communications could follow at a later date.
Numerous important manufacturers of smart home devices are involved with Matter and want to make their devices compatible with it in the future. In addition to the three big smart assistant developers Google, Amazon and Apple, this also includes Ikea, Samsung and Signify (Philips Hue). In total, over 170 companies participate in Matter.
Matter is to be made available license-free to manufacturers of smart home devices. Matter does not plan to standardize the different smart home user interfaces of the individual companies. The protocol is intended to complement, not replace, existing systems. Devices that support Matter should be recognizable by the logo.
(dahe)
