What you need to know
- Matter is a smart home connectivity standard backed by Apple, Google, and more.
- It was supposed to roll out this fall.
- The group now says it will be rolled out in the first half of 2022.
Apple-backed smart home connectivity standard Matter will not roll out until 2022, the group says.
President and CEO of the Connectivity Standard Alliance, Tobin Richardson, stated in a blog post that Matter now had an updated timeline:
In May of this year, we saw a development path with first devices through certification by the end of the year in 2021. With the completion of several test events and forecasting, our members have updated the schedule to reflect a commitment to ensuring that the SDK, and related tools, are ready to meet the expectations of the market when launched and enable a large ecosystem of interoperable Matter products. Our refined plans include ongoing SDK and certification program development in 2H 2021, targeting a "pre-ballot" version of the technical spec available to members at year's end. In the first half of 2022, we expect to see the SDK released, the first devices through certification, and our formal certification program opening.
Matter will, in theory, let users connect Matter-certified devices from a range of manufacturers all in tandem, from our explainer:
Matter is built upon Internet Protocol (IP) and will use existing networking technologies in an attempt to unify smart home platforms. That means Matter-certified devices will be using standard stuff like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, and Thread to connect to your network and each other. As both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology advance, Matter will probably continue to incorporate new standards.
Support for Matter is built into iOS 15 and will bring support for all of the best HomeKit devices on the market. Sadly, it's just a bit further away than we thought.
