Google Home, Nest and Android smart devices have been updated to support the Matter standard, with some even acting as Thread border routers , according to an announcement released earlier this week by the company. Now Eve has someone else to join them on the list of smart home products that are officially running Matter protocols on them. Don’t worry, though, Google has also stated that more members of the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CTA)—the brains behind Matter—will be making their updates just in time for the holidays.
That means that the Google Home Speaker, Google Home Mini, Nest Mini, Nest Audio, Nest Hub (1st and 2nd gen), Nest Hub Max and the new Nest WiFi Pro, are all capable of acting as Matter Hubs. That then opens the gateway to the rest of the home, allowing a plethora of Matter-enabled devices to be controlled all through Google’s interface.
After launching earlier this year to much anticipation, it seems the dream of Matter is finally starting to take shape. Originally started in 2019, the goal of the project has been to cut down on fragmentation within the smart home space with intent to launch back in 2021. It was only this past October when the standard and its certification program were made available publicly.
Google Updates Android Fast Pairing for Easier Onboarding of Matter and Thread Devices
Google has also updated Fast Pair to support Matter, noting professionals will have the ability to pair Matter-enabled devices to the home network “as quickly as you can pair a set of headphones.”
Once the devices are connected, it becomes even easier to link Matter devices with apps and other smart home ecosystems, according to Google. Additionally, the company notes it has updated the Nest Wi Pro, the Nest Hub Max and the Nest Hub (2nd gen) to function as Thread border routers. This allows users to connect Thread-supported products as well, allowing them to onboard any number of devices, such as smart locks or environmental sensors, to the home network.
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In other related news, Samsung has also announced that it is working on updates alongside Google to make both Google Home and SmartThings compatible with one another through admin protocols. This means that, once available, SmartThings devices will be able to act as control hubs for Google Home products and vice versa, making it that much easier to incorporate the different brands in a single space.
Amazon, another founder of the alliance, has also stated that 17 of its popular Echo devices will be upgraded to the standard in the current month.
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