The latest version of Matter, the open smart home standard that has largely failed to live up to its lofty promise of seamlessly integrating device diagnostics, is now available. Hardware and platform manufacturers can integrate Matter 1.4 into their products as early as Thursday. The biggest feature of the new version may be the Enhanced Multi-Admin feature, which aims to improve interoperability between different device ecosystems.
The Communications Standards Alliance, which manages Matter, describes version 1.4 as “a significant step forward for the Matter ecosystem.” According to him, the update is the result of hundreds of coalition member companies (including Apple, Amazon, Google and Samsung) working with thousands of engineers and product experts. As the platform struggles to deliver on its promise of a smooth and hassle-free smart home experience, it can use all the help it can get.
One of the new features, Enhanced Multi-Admin, aims to reduce the number of settings when connecting to multiple ecosystems (such as Apple HomeKit, Google Home, or Alexa). Matter 1.4 requires user consent only once. After that (at least in theory), new and existing devices will connect to multiple ecosystems without having to approve the same device for each additional platform. If OEMs implement this feature seamlessly (again, a big ask given Matter’s challenging first two years), it could eliminate a major pain point and bring the platform’s big promise of seamless integration closer to reality.
The upgrade also opens the door to Matter-certified routers and access points that securely store your Thread protocol credentials. The alliance says the networking hardware “will provide the basic infrastructure for smart homes by combining both a Wi-Fi access point and a Thread edge router, ensuring that these ubiquitous devices have the necessary infrastructure for Matter products using either technology.”
After adding basic energy management features in version 1.3, Matter 1.4 expands on these by supporting new device types. Solar panels, batteries (including battery walls, drives, and energy storage systems), heat pumps, and water heaters can now work with the standard. In addition, it now covers equipment for electric vehicles (EVSE). This way, EV owners can use control functions to specify when they want their car to charge, choosing times based on convenience or cost.
Matter 1.4 also adds protocols to extend the battery life of low-power devices such as switches, buttons, and sensors that are only connected intermittently. The menu also includes more flexible automation options for devices such as wall switches that control lights, fans, and other non-smart appliances. This solves another problem with previous versions, which considered all these types of devices to be “lighting devices.”
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