The Apple Home app on iPhone supports Matter
On Wednesday, the CSA unveiled its latest update to the Matter home automation spec, introducing several new device categories to the burgeoning standard.
Matter, overseen by the Connectivity Standards Alliance, has officially reached version 1.3, six months after its last major update. Now that the spec is finalized, device manufacturers and ecosystem stewards can add support themselves.
New device categories include:
- EV chargers
- Water controllers
- Microwaves
- Ovens
- Cooktops
- Extractor hood
- Laundry dryers
With Matter, users can start and stop an electric vehicle charger. Plus, they can choose the charging rate or time of their expected departure.
Water management devices encompass not just faucets and spigots but also rain sensors, leak detectors, and freeze detectors.
Microwave support lets users control the cook time, power level, and mode during operation. Plus, they can receive notifications when it finishes running.
Ovens can be standalone or in tandem with a cooktop and allow control of the cooking mode and state. There’s a great degree of support for granular controls, like filter lifespan or light/fan control on extractor hoods.
Finally, laundry dryers are well overdue as washing machines were previously added as part of Matter 1.2.
Additional improvements with Matter 1.3:
- Energy management to report power, voltage, current, and other real-time consumption or generation
- Improvements to TV functionality such as notifications
- Standardized scenes across platforms
- Command batching to reduce delays
- Improved network commissioning
- Event timestamp synchronization
While Matter 1.3 is now available to developers, major ecosystems have still yet to add support for Matter 1.2, including Apple Home.
Apple Home, Samsung SmartThings, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa all have so far not implemented Matter 1.2, nor have they promised any timeline for adoption.
Matter 1.2 brought several new device categories including robotic vacuum cleaners, washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, alarms, air quality monitors, and more.
We may not see support for Matter 1.2 until iOS 18 this fall, delaying Apple’s support of version 1.3 until even later.
Matter is a new smart home standard that allows devices to achieve one certification and work across multiple ecosystems. Its goal is to help spur smart home adoption and simplify the development process for accessories.
Apple, among other major players, is included in this member-driven organization. The iPhone maker first added support for Matter with iOS 16.
