Matter, a smart home technology, is set to unify the devices of Google, Apple, and Amazon into a single protocol has been delayed to 2022.
Matter Gets Delayed Again
According to the blog post written by Matter CEO Tobin Richardson, the team behind the project will continue to work on it and will soon announce a specific launch date later this year.
Although Matter has a feature-complete specification, the team will still have to finish creating the SDK and the certification program so that the developers can get the existing and new hardware approved.
The first Matter-certified hardware is set to roll out by the end of the year, which pushes the product's release in the first half of 2022.
Matter will be uploading updates in early 2022 for products like Philips Hue. According to Stacy Higginbotham, a smart home expert, the delay means that the first new Matter-enabled smart devices won't be out until late 2022, according to CNET.
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Higginbotham stated that several factors cause the delay. One of them being the delta variant-fueled wave of COVID-19 cases. The company is also thinking of adding more companies to its roster.
The idea behind Matter came as a surprise to a lot of users since Apple and Amazon are known rivals in the smart home technology industry, but both companies seem to agree that the project will benefit them more.
This is not the first time that Matter delayed the release of its product. In 2019, the company announced that it would release it in 2020, but that was changed to early 2021 due to the pandemic. And now, it's been pushed back again for another year.
Given the number of companies included in the project and the complexity of manufacturing a system that unifies smart home products from major tech brands like Apple, Amazon, and Google, it is easy to understand why the team is taking its time in releasing the product.
What Does Matter Mean of Smart Home Users?
Matter is an open-source interoperability system that a lot of smart home device makers, such as Amazon, Apple, and Google, have agreed to use as a standard for their respective products, according to Reviewed.
The result is a more seamless experience for users when purchasing and integrating smart home devices.
Matter could also help smaller tech companies create smart home products to ensure they work with other smart devices.
Since Matter is open-source, no one owns it, and there are no licensing fees linked with using it.
If you own a smart home, Matter could set up new smart products, manage devices, and easily attach new ones.
You can also choose the products and features you want for your home instead of opting for the ones compatible with what you already own.
Whenever you need to purchase a smart home device, you won't have to check if it is compatible with your hub.
You will just need to look for the Matter logo. Any product that has the logo will be able to integrate with your smart home devices and apps.
Also, since everything is integrated, it requires less maintenance. Currently, when you run a firmware update on a smart device, you may need to reconnect it to your hub. Once Matter rolls out, you won't have to do that anymore as everything will be ready to go.
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Written by Sophie Webster
