Great if you already have Matter-enabled smart home devices, that is
A week after Google announced that it finished the Matter rollout to Android and Google Home, Amazon is following suite. If you're not familiar, Matter is a new interconnectivity standard that promises to make smart homes less complicated. Rather than having to check if devices you buy are compatible with your smart home ecosystem of choice, you only have to make sure that your smart speaker or phone supports Matter. And now, both Google and Amazon offer initial support for these devices.
Amazon already shared during the Matter launch event last month that it wanted to roll out support for the standard by the end of the year, and it held true to its promise. Matter devices can now be controlled via Wi-Fi by the following 17 Echo devices, hooking up millions of owners with the new standard:
In addition to the Echo devices, Amazon says it also added Matter support to a number of plugs, bulbs, and switches that can be set up with Android. The company promises that you won’t notice much of a difference in terms of setup and usage when compared to devices part of the “Works with Alexa” program, making it easy to expand your smart home beyond just products supporting Amazon’s own APIs. Amazon still encourages developers to join the “Works with Alexa” program, as devices that support both Matter and Alexa will get access to a few more advanced features that aren’t part of the Matter specifications (…yet).
Amazon makes clear that this is only the first stage of its Matter rollout, and that support will come to more devices and platforms. The company has yet to add support for Matter over Thread, a Wi-Fi-like mesh network suited for low-power devices like smart locks. Amazon also wants to introduce support for more Echo devices and further device types, and Matter doesn't work on its iOS app just yet.
Manuel Vonau is Android Police’s Google Editor, with expertise in Android, Chrome, and other Google products — the very core of Android Police’s content. He has been covering tech news and reviewing devices since joining Android Police as a news writer in 2019. He lives in Berlin, Germany.
Manuel studied Media and Culture studies in Düsseldorf, finishing his university career with a master’s thesis titled “The Aesthetics of Tech YouTube Channels: Production of Proximity and Authenticity.” His background gives him a unique perspective on the ever-evolving world of technology and its implications on society. He isn’t shy to dig into technical backgrounds and the nitty-gritty developer details, either.
Manuel’s first steps into the Android world were plagued by issues. After his HTC One S refused to connect to mobile internet despite three warranty repairs, he quickly switched to a Nexus 4, which he considers his true first Android phone. Since then, he has mostly been faithful to the Google phone lineup, though these days, he is also carrying an iPhone in addition to his Pixel phone. This helps him gain perspective on the mobile industry at large and gives him multiple points of reference in his coverage.
Outside of work, Manuel enjoys a good film or TV show, loves to travel, and you will find him roaming one of Berlin’s many museums, cafés, cinemas, and restaurants occasionally.
