The new Matter smart home standard was unveiled to device makers back in October, and more information was provided to consumers two weeks ago. Now popular smart home accessory maker Meross has unveiled one of the first Matter devices you actually order, a new Wi-Fi smart plug that works with Matter out of the box…
Meross' new Wi-Fi smart socket is one of the first smart home accessories you can order, designed specifically to work with Matter. by The Verge. There's even a fancy Matter logo on the front so you can differentiate it from other non-Matter smart home products you might already have.
Some smart home device manufacturers are planning to update existing Matter-enabled devices with software updates, but these updates have not yet begun to roll out widely. For example, Eve will start releasing Matter software updates in December. Eve will then make Matter-certified products available to retailers in the first quarter of 2023.
Today, the Apple Home app and Samsung SmartThings are the two main platforms that support Matter accessories. Support from other platforms is expected in the coming months, with Amazon promising that updates will begin later this year.
You can order the new Matter-enabled Meross Wi-Fi Smart Plug starting today. The accessory will retail for $50 for two forks, but the company is offering a 50% discount for early adopters. This means you can get two Matter-certified smart plugs for just $25. The first orders will go on sale on December 31st.
Because Matter's capabilities are still relatively limited, the biggest benefit of buying a device with out-of-the-box support is durability. As more platforms begin to support Matter, you'll know that a Matter-certified product will also be supported by those platforms.
More than 280 companies are members of the Matter group, including well-known companies such as Apple, Amazon, and Google. The initial release of Matter will support a number of the most common categories of smart home accessories: lighting and electricity, HVAC controls, window coverings and shades, security sensors, door locks, media devices including TVs, both device and app controllers. and bridges.
The Matter standard can be a great help to the adoption and popularity of the smart home. It works by giving accessories cross-platform capabilities without almost the same overhead as before. Whether that turns out to be the case remains to be seen, but we'll find out more in the coming months.
