What you need to know
- The Connectivity Standard Alliance (CSA) rolls out the Matter 1.1 update.
- The build improves the user experience by adding proper support for battery-powered smart home devices.
- Developers gain an easier experience certifying and rolling out new devices.
- Another Matter build is expected later in 2023.
The Connectivity Standard Alliance (CSA) has detailed Matter's first post-launch update since last fall. Matter 1.1 brings in added support for Intermittently Connected Devices (ICD), which are battery-powered devices such as door locks, switches, and temperature sensors.
The CSA states the newly included support should reduce the chances of those so-called "sleepy devices" appearing as "offline" when a user tries to interact with them from their phone or smart home hub. This happens because battery-powered devices simply go dormant at times to conserve power and increase their longevity.
Furthermore, the Matter 1.1 update makes it even easier for developers and product crafters to get those devices Matter-certified faster and get them out on the shelves. Changes have arrived to the open-source SDK and the API available to developers, as well. The Alliance has incorporated better clarifications and cleaned up the specifications so developers can get in and work on their devices with some added ease.
The Alliance states it has committed to a twice-yearly update cycle for the new standard. With users and developers receiving the first one here in May, the next one is already in progress and should be "expected later this year."
Matter came into the industry to correct the need for so many apps just to get your smart home devices to work. The new connectivity standard unifies those devices, so no matter what your preferred smart home app is, your devices will work.
As previously mentioned, this is Matter's first post-launch update since its initial launch in October 2022. That launch placed extreme focus on connectivity — namely devices that connect to a home's Wi-Fi network. With some focus shifting back over to other battery-powered devices, the user experience is improving just a little bit.
The Alliance also announced that it has grown by an additional 60 members. Matter has also certified 1,135 devices since its initial fall 2022 launch. Companies like Samsung have brought Matter-connectivity to a few of its wearables via Google's Fast Pair technology. Similarly, Amazon, another key CSA member, brought connectivity to a vast array of Alexa devices.
Google's Nest Hub Max can be that bastion for your home's smart security. You can monitor all of your home's cameras from a large screen and speak to Google Assistant if you need to turn off the lights and more. The Nest Hub Max includes a camera so you can feel close to your family wherever they are.
