These Apple-exclusive smart home devices now work with Google Assistant and Alexa
Matter has long been the next big thingin the smart home space, but after years of delays, nobody knew when we’d get to see the actual hardware that works across platforms. Thankfully, just a couple of months after an official launch, the long wait for Matter support is finally coming to an end. Privacy-focused Eve is leading the pack, with its latest update bringingGoogle Assistantand Alexa compatibility to three of its smart products.
Eve products have so far been only compatible with Apple HomeKit, but that’s exactly the kind of walled garden Matter plans to scale. Last month,when we got an early look at how Matter is designed to work, Eve was among the first brands to demonstrate its cross-platform capabilities. Unsurprisingly, it’s also the first one to come out with official support, while we wait forsome of the best smart home devicesto play catch-up.
According toThe Verge, Eve has released an update that brings Matter support to its three Thread-compatible devices: the Energy smart plug, a contact sensor for doors and windows, and a motion sensor.
If you already own one of these Eve products, you could update them to the latest version to enable interoperability across different smart home ecosystems. But to install the update, you will have to rely on an iPhone or iPad and an Apple Home Hub device;one of the home hub-enabled Apple devicesshould do the trick. Do note that while the update is optional, once installed, you cannot roll back to the older HomeKit-only version.
You will have to manually upgrade every Matter-compatible Eve product you purchase until next year. From 2023 onwards though, the company’s smart home devices will ship with Matter built in. And with Eve’s upcoming Android app, using its products will be a breeze even if you aren’t in the Apple ecosystem.
Unfortunately, if you update your compatible Eve device with the new Matter update, you won’t be able to fully utilize Matter’s interoperability feature just yet. That’s because both Google and Amazonare yet to bring Matter support to their smart speakers and displays, with only Samsung SmartThings available as the only Apple HomeKit alternative. Meanwhile,Amazon announcedthat it will upgrade its Echo speaker range by this December with Matter, but we haven’t heard anything on that so far — though we have our fingers crossed.
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