Smart Homes are Becoming Smarter with Matter

Smart homes have changed the way many Australians live. Devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home have given us a futuristic way to control the lights, locks, and temperature in our homes. With so many manufacturers in the market, it can be hard to set up a robust system that responds smoothly and accurately. On top of that, there's the issue of data being sent over the cloud with many DIY solutions. Things will soon change in Australia with the introduction of Matter.

What is Matter?

Matter is a cross-platform solution that improves the connectivity and reliability of Smart Home networks. Previously, smart devices could be created in numerous ways which often caused problems when people tried to set them up. The big names in Smart Homes got together (including Amazon, Apple and Google) to create a better system. By creating Matter, they're working to make Smart Homes safer and easier to use and connect.

How will Matter improve things?

One of the biggest advantages of Matter is that it will simplify how you control your home's devices. In many systems, there's no unifying or controlling app. Instead, users have one app that controls their lights, another for their smart sockets and maybe a dozen or so more for the rest of their home.

Matter brings all these devices together so you can control them using the same interface. Because they can now speak to each other, they can be controlled with the same interface. And because Matter was built from the ground up specifically for Smart Homes – and with so much collaboration – it's a huge improvement over what was already in place. It also keeps your data in your home. Because your network communicates properly, nothing has to be sent to the cloud or leave your premises. This solution has only become available because of the development of Thread by a German company Eve.

What does Eve's Thread do?

Thread brings the control back to you. It's the first uniform industry-standard device that allows products and systems to communicate locally. It's said that this technology can handle up to 250 different devices at once.

Thread technology allows your devices to talk to each other without the need for a bridge. Everything from outlets, sensors and thermostats can be connected, making your Smart Home more responsive and robust. You'll find your network is faster and fails less often.

This tech is the backbone of Matter and, because of that, we're going to see more and more Thread-compatible devices come onto the market. You can already buy devices intended for this use; in fact, Smart Home devices made by Eve are already available.

How to get started with Eve Thread and Matter?

To create a more reliable network you'll need one of two products: either the HomePod Mini or the new Apple TV 4K. These products will act as your border router, which connects your Thread network to your local home network. Once you've done that, your Thread-enabled devices should automatically sync with the network. Your Eve app will show you what's connected and you'll be able to control everything through one portal. From there, you just need to work out which devices you want to add to your Smart Home next.

Find the best Smart Home devices on Kalk Online.