As smart home fans patiently wait for the Matter standard to officially arrive, a substantial part of the puzzle has gotten a big upgrade.
We’ll take a closer look at the recently released Thread upgrade and how it ties into Matter.
Thread: A Big Part of Matter
While Matter is the smart home protocol, Thread is the wireless protocol of the system.
And with the new Thread 1.3.0 update, announced in a Thread Group press release, you’ll be able to use any Thread device with any Thread border router.
In previous versions, there were issues with devices from different manufacturers not working together, defeating a big part of the Thread protocol.
According to The Verge, here are the current devices that can be used as a Thread 1.3.0 border router once upgraded by the manufacturer:
- Nest Hub Max smart display
- Nest Hub (second-generation) smart display
- Nest Wifi mesh router
- Apple TV 4K
- Apple HomePod Mini
- Echo (fourth-generation) smart speaker
- Nanoleaf Shapes, Elements, and Lines LED light panels
- All Wi-Fi 6 and up Eero mesh routers
Thread 1.3.0 is backward-compatible with older Thread specifications.
Any Thread-compatible device can talk to a Thread border router. When a compatible device is on a Thread network, they can be controlled by a Matter controller which will include the big three smart home systems: Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Home.
Along with being a low-power and low-latency network, you don’t need a central hub to use Thread. It’s also self-healing and will find the most efficient route to take. Find out more about Thread and what it means for your smart home.
Taking Big Steps Toward a Better Smart Home Future
The road toward Matter has been a long one. But after a number of delays, we’re expecting Matter to arrive in late 2022. And the Thread protocol is a big part of Matter.
Once fully realized, Matter can make a huge problem with smart homes—interoperability—a thing of the past. With Thread and Matter, you’ll be able to control any compatible product with whatever device you choose.
That will definitely be worth the wait.
