- Matter, the upcoming new IoT standard, has been further delayed until Fall 2022.
- An additional device certification event has been added for Summer 2022.
- The new standard aims to improve connectivity between smart home devices like lights, plugs, locks, and more.
There are thousands of smart home devices from hundreds of different manufacturers, but not all do a great job working together consistently and effectively. The new internet of things (IoT) communication standard known as Matter has been in the works for a few years now — is seeing another delay.
In a blog post, the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) provided an update on the development of Matter and announced that the previous target of mid-2022 is now Fall 2022. According to the CSA, one of the primary contributors to this delay is the "unprecedented level of scale, scope, and commitment" from more than 130 devices and sensors. According to the CSA, those devices represent a cross-section of "15 device and sensor types from more than 50 member companies."
Speaking with The Verge, Michelle Mindala-Freeman of the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) expressed that the delay is to "to stabilize, tweak, tune, and improve quality in the code." This ensures that the higher than anticipated number of platforms adopting the Matter standard can offer better interoperability.
Plans are in place to complete Matter Version 0.9 by mid-year and make it available to members of the Alliance then. Following that release will be a Specification Validation Event (SVE) this summer to provide compliance results and certification for the initial products, with Matter 1.0 arriving in the Fall. Many of the platforms making some of the best smart home devices now will likely be in the mix to adopt the Matter standard and incorporate it into their products.
The interest in Matter is high, which is hopefully a good thing. For consumers shopping for smart home devices, deciphering if a product or brand will work with another can be challenging. The expectation is that Matter will fix this part of the smart home equation and lead to the broader adoption of smart home products across various brands into one cohesive standard.
