Matter 1.2 is released, what is the difference between 1.0 and 1.1?

 In 2019, Amazon, Apple, Google and Zigbee Alliance members jointly formed the Home Connected Internet Protocol Project (CHIP). The working group developed a new standard that enables IP-based communications across smart home devices, mobile applications and cloud services, ultimately unifying the smart home.

In 2021, the Zigbee Alliance changed its name to the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), and Project CHIP changed its name to Matter. The rebrand is necessary because the new Matter markup authenticates the identity of the device, ensuring that anything built on this standard is inherently reliable, secure by design, and compatible at scale.

CSA and Matter were officially launched in October 2022 and now have more than 600 members, more than 750 Matter certified devices, and multiple updates to Matter.

What exactly is Matter?

Matter is an application layer protocol developed specifically to address device interoperability within the smart home, and more specifically across different smart home device platforms. This means your Amazon Alexa can work with your Google Home or Apple HomeKit. In addition to interoperability, its other biggest benefits include simplified device setup, significantly improved reliability and latency, and improved security through standardization.

Matter is designed to support existing protocols such as Thread, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy, Zigbee and Z-Wave, bringing greater flexibility to manufacturers and consumers.

For developers, Matter simplifies product development while reducing development and operational costs. Because Matter is completely open source, anyone can read the source code and suggest changes, enabling industry collaboration, improving quality, and speeding up processes.

With Matter, device manufacturers only need one SKU for each product instead of separate SKUs for each ecosystem, which reduces costs, shortens development and production time, and simplifies the entire supply chain.

Additionally, consumers have the right to choose how they want to control their homes and what devices they want to use – they should not be limited to certain ecosystems. Consumers can have peace of mind when using their devices because privacy and security are at the core of Matter, with built-in encryption, over-the-air updates and standardization keeping data safe.

Another benefit for consumers is the simplified setup of new IoT devices in the home. Matter uses a simple and secure login process to connect new devices, just scan the QR code to add a new Matter device. Finally, Matter bridges compatibility with existing devices (non-Matter certified devices) through Matter bridging so that consumers can continue to use the devices they already have.

Matter 1.0: Certification now open

In 2022, CSA launched Matter 1.0, along with eight authorized product certification test laboratories, the test tools required to certify devices, and an open source reference design software development kit (SDK) for developing Matter devices.

Consumers are starting to see the first Matter-certified devices. Matter 1.0 version supports a variety of common smart home products such as lighting and electrical, HVAC controls, drapes and shades, safety and security sensors, door locks, media devices (including TVs), and controllers.

In addition to new devices, Matter 1.0 also enables companies to upgrade existing, deployed devices to Matter-certified devices through over-the-air updates.

Matter 1.1: Enhancements for developers and devices

Matter 1.1 was released in May 2023, an update that enhanced support for many smart home products in the Intermittently Connected Device (ICD) category (also known as "hibernating devices"). Typically, ICDs represent battery-operated devices such as sensors, door locks, and switches that are connected via wireless networks and need to conserve power for optimal operation and longevity.

The ICD is not always connected. Instead, they "wake up" periodically and perform connections, drawing power, so energy efficiency is critical. Matter 1.1 allows the ICD to sleep longer before checking the parent device without reconnecting to the network. Fewer handshakes means energy savings and longer battery life.

Matter 1.1 fixes many of the bugs that were present when Matter was originally released, especially on the development side. Given that the code is publicly available and relies on open source SDKs, it's important that these tools are easy to use. In this update, CSA has collected developer feedback throughout the process to shed light on how to make the tool easier to operate to help developers work with Matter.

CSA has also set up a test center in Portland to provide interoperability testing services for alliance members developing Matter products for certification. Additionally, Silicon Labs has launched Connectivity Labs, which simulates the modern smart home through a range of IoT devices, applications, ecosystems and networks. Customers can test Matter prototypes running in real-world scenarios across a variety of protocols and device brands.

Matter 1.2: Support more device types

Six months later, Matter 1.2 introduced new device types and brought other improvements that enhanced interoperability and user experience. This version expands device types to washing machines, refrigerators, dishwashers, room air conditioners, robot vacuums, air quality sensors, air purifiers, smoke/CO2 alarms, and fans. Matter 1.2 also adds key foundational elements to support more device types, such as operating modes, which will be important for adding more devices in the future.

This is exciting because many of these devices tend to support Wi-Fi, but ecosystem support is often limited and requires proprietary app control. With Matter 1.2, manufacturers can simplify the user experience, including debugging, while enabling integration into critical smart home ecosystems.

Matter 1.2 also includes new features that improve the user debugging experience to better identify products and their descriptions. For example, to help users verify which device they are interacting with, the device's color is listed in the Matter controller's user interface. Alternatively, a light with multiple bulbs can describe the position or position in the controller user interface to indicate which bulb is bound to the smart switch.

Material 1.3 and beyond will only get more powerful

Support for Matter will only continue to grow. In fact, Amazon has added Matter to more than 100 million Echo and eero devices. CSA says it hopes to share new Matter updates every six months, so we can continue to expect more Matter device types, particularly cameras and energy management devices, to further unify the smart home ecosystem, and more to help a wide range of households. Updates to smart device applications.