Also: Samsung has big plans for Matter. Here’s how it could transform your home The decision was made largely due to testing capabilities: Koopmans pointed out that most consumers have Wi-Fi in their homes, most commonly in smaller objects like smart plugs, switches, and lightbulbs. At this time, the overwhelming availability of Wi-Fi over Thread is more conducive to conducting wide-capacity testing. “In line with our high bar for delivering quality experiences, we are making sure every feature and device type undergoes rigorous testing and works flawlessly with Alexa before we release it,” Koopmans said. Also: IoT devices can undermine your security. Here are 4 ways to boost your defenses This is only the beginning for consumers’ opportunity to mix and match devices from different manufacturers, regardless of brand or protocol, via Matter.
Works with Alexa for Matter devices
Matter works over Thread, which is an IP-based protocol, and Wi-Fi and Ethernet. Matter employs Wi-Fi and Ethernet to connect to smart home devices that require high bandwidth, like video doorbells or security cameras. And Thread works for low-power items like entry or motion sensors. Imagine a group of five tourists who each speak a different language coincidentally going into a lobby at the same time to ask a receptionist for directions. If the receptionist only speaks one of the five languages, the other four tourists will be left unable to communicate. Right now, the IoT is flooded with connectivity protocols like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Thread, Zigbee, and Z-wave. If you buy a door lock that uses Zigbee, for example, and you want to control it with your phone, then you need to buy a hub for it that “speaks” those “languages.” Matter is an effort to speak a universal language, aka a standard, so it can be used by most devices to communicate.
