Amazon has confirmed plans for the vast majority of its Alexa-powered Echo speakers video devices to support the new cross-platform smart home protocol Matter.
Matter aims to unify the smart home with a new back-end tech also backed by Google, Apple and Samsung’s SmartThings.
After Google confirmed that its Nest products will receive an update bringing Matter support, Amazon has done likewise. The news was confirmed during the Alexa Live developer day.
Speaking to The Verge, Amazon confirmed that as many Echo devices as possible will receive the update, including the Echo and Echo Dot ranges, but also the Studio, Plus, Show and Flex devices. Trusted Reviews has contacted Amazon for a statement on the matter.
Those missing out on the update are few and far between. Only the Echo Gen 1, Echo Dot (1st-Gen) and the on-the-go Echo Tap won’t be compatible with Matter when it eventually rolls out by the end of this year.
The idea behind Matter is to end the fragmentation of the smart home market, enabling consumers to purchase gadgets with confidence they’ll be compatible with whatever brand or assistant they use to power their smart home.
The initiative was previously known as Project Chip, but was rebranded to Matter in May when Google announced it was going to be jumping aboard by making some of its Nest devices de facto Matter hubs.
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“Android will be one of the leading operating systems with built-in support for Matter, letting you quickly set up devices with Google and link your favourite Android apps,” Google wrote in a blog post during Google I/O.
“You’ll only need a few taps to set up your Matter devices, and you’ll have lots of ways to instantly control them such as Matter-enabled Android apps, Google Assistant, the Google Home app, Android Power Controls and compatible Google devices. It also allows over one billion Android devices to enable simple setup and control all Matter-certified products.”
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
