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Does Homebridge even Matter any more? [Video]

Keeping a unified smart home – where any smart phone or home assistant can be used to control any smart home device you have – can be a bit of challenge. Previously, many iPhone users have used Homebridge to connect otherwise unsupported devices to Apple’s Home app. But the Matter standard could make that unnecessary, as Matter compatible devices will be compatible with Amazon, Google, and Apple’s smart home ecosystems. That begs the question: Will Matter make Homebridge obsolete?

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Matter-enabled Amazon Echo devices to work with iOS soon as phase-one rollout is now complete

Matter support Amazon Echo devices

With the official launch of the new Matter standard for smart home accessories in November, Amazon has announced its plans to add Matter support to its Echo devices. The company confirmed on Monday that the phase-one rollout of Matter support is now complete, while phase two is expected to begin next year with support for iOS.

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Eve begins Matter rollout for Eve Energy, Eve Door & Window, and Eve Motion

Eve Matter

Eve, the popular HomeKit product manufacturer, has announced that it will be releasing an optional firmware update for its Eve Energy, Eve Door & Window, and Eve Motion products, making them the first Thread products available on the market for the new Matter standard. This update will allow customers to connect their Eve products to the Samsung SmartThings ecosystem and, coming soon, Google Home and Amazon Alexa.

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Meross debuts one of the first Matter smart plugs that’s actually available for purchase

matter smart plug

The new Matter smart home standard launched to device makers back in October, and more details were shared with consumers two weeks ago. Now, the popular smart home accessory maker Meross has unveiled one of the first Matter devices that you actually order, a new Wi-Fi smart plug that works with Matter out of the box…

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IKEA DIRIGERA smart home hub with Matter slated for November [U: Official release date and price]

IKEA Matter smart home hub

Back in May, IKEA teased an overhauled smart home hub with Matter support for cross-platform connectivity, plus a brand-new app for an improved experience with its smart home products. Now early listings for the DIRIGERA have popped up giving us a look at the price, release date, and more.

Update 10/24: IKEA has shared the official launch date of the DIRIGERA smart home hub and price for the US with 9to5Mac.

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Matter-compatible smart locks on the way: Yale Assure 2 range; upgrades possible after purchase

Matter-compatible smart locks

Yale has announced that it will launch a new range of Matter-compatible smart locks in the fall – which are upgraded versions of its existing Assure Lock range. Matter support is likely to be added some time after the initial launch.

You’ll be able to open two of the models with your voice, iPhone, Apple Watch, keypad code, or physical key; the other two models lack the physical key slot …

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HomeKit-compatible Eve motion sensor v2 gets Thread support and ambient light sensor

Eve motion sensor shown attached to exterior wall

A new version of the Eve motion sensor has been launched, with support for the Apple-backed Thread protocol which enables smart home devices to easily communicate with each other.

The Eve Motion also gets an ambient light sensor, which is exposed to HomeKit so can be used to directly trigger actions, with or without motion.

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Apple-backed smart home standard Matter has been delayed yet again

Apple-backed smart home standard Matter has been delayed yet again

The launch of the universal smart home standard Matter has been delayed yet again. This is the third delay since the standard – backed by Apple, Google, Samsung, Amazon, and others – was originally set to debut back in 2020.

The standards organization behind Matter claims that this latest delay is caused by the unexpected popularity of the protocol …

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Belkin Wemo going all in on Thread and Matter for 2022 with new Switch, Dimmer, and Smart Plug

Belkin Wemo Smart Switch Plug, Light, and Dimmer

Alongside the new Wemo HomeKit Smart Video Doorbell, Belkin has unveiled that its Wemo Smart Plug, Smart Light Switch, and Smart Dimmer will be seeing an upgrade this year with Matter over Thread support. That will mean faster and more reliable connections with greater range for the HomeKit devices.

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Apple-backed Matter smart home standard also planning universal casting alternative to AirPlay

Back in 2019, Apple announced that it was teaming up with Samsung, Amazon, Google, and the Zigbee Alliance to create a more open and secure standard for smart home accessories. The project was initially slated to launch in 2021, but was later delayed to 2022.

A new report from The Verge today goes in-depth on another aspect of the Matter initiative: a new universal casting technology that could rival (or replace) AirPlay…

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