Matter is here, but it’s still a long road to the simplesmart home

A Matter QR code on an Eve Energy smart plug. To pair a device to a Matter app, you'll just need to scan this code.

At the official launch event for Matter this week, I saw a lot of exciting things: a Google Nest Hub controlling an Eve Energy smart plug; a Wiz light bulb working with Apple Home; a Yale smart lock talking to a SmartThings hub over Thread. None of these things were possible before Matter. And all of these things worked well in their demos using voice, app, and other smart home control interfaces - even in the interference hell of a mini-trade show floor.

But I also saw that Matter has a long way to go before it fully delivers on its promise of an interoperable and simple smart home. A phrase I heard a lot throughout the two-day event was, Matter is a journey," followed by, This is just the beginning."

In the short term, don't expect...

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