Amazon has issued an update for a slew of Echo devices to support the new Matter smart home standard.
Matter, which has been years in the making and promises true interoperability for smart home products, is now available on 17 Echo products with a further 13 to come.
Although there are just a handful of Matter products currently available, the support from Echo devices sets the scene for 2023 when the majority of new products will be Matter compatible and a host of existing products will be updated.
Right now, the 17 Alexa devices (below) compatible with Matter over Wi-Fi on via Android devices. Amazon says broader support – which may include iOS and Thread compatibility – is coming in the early part of 2023.
In a blog post, Amazon writes: “Our phased approach allows us to begin rolling out Matter support for the most common device types while continuing to work through interoperability, stability and longevity-testing with our partners, ensuring customers have a seamless and high-quality experience with Alexa.”
The first 17 Echo devices that work as Matter controllers include: Echo Dot (5th Gen), Echo Dot (5th Gen) with clock, Echo (4th Gen), Echo Dot (3rd Gen, 2018 release), Echo Studio, Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen, 2021 release), Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen), Echo Show 5 (2nd Gen, 2021 release), Echo Show 15, Echo Dot (Gen 3 with Clock), Echo Dot (Gen 4 with Clock), Echo Show 5, Echo (v3), Echo Dot Gen 4, Echo Input, Echo Flex and Echo Show 8.
Amazon’s roll out comes just a few days after fellow Matter founder Google brought the standard to existing Nest and Google Home devices, as well as Android phones. Once Samsung SmartThings and Apple HomeKit is supported also, there’ll be no stopping the Matter revolution – ending the days of users having to ensure devices are supported by their ecosystem and hopefully simplifying the situation for all.
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