According to a report by The Verge, the company also said that it will expand its support of the new smart home standard to more device types that includes – thermostats, blinds, and sensors – in addition to light bulbs, plugs, and switches.
What is Matter-over-Thread
Matter is a new smart home interoperability standard that provides a common language for smart home devices to communicate locally in your home without relying on a cloud connection.
The feature uses Wi-Fi and Thread wireless protocols and, in its first rollout, includes smart sensors, smart lighting, smart plugs and switches, smart thermostats, connected locks, and media devices including TVs.
The report also cites that Alexa users will be able to use any Matter device on any Matter platform once Amazon’s Matter rollout is complete.
Moreover, with the addition of Thread support, Amazon’s Echo 4th Gen smart speaker will be transformed into a Matter controller and a Thread border router.
“Our Matter setup flow for Thread devices will allow the user to connect their Thread device to any Thread network in the home (similar to their ability to connect to any Wi-Fi network for Wi-Fi devices) in addition to using the network created by an Echo device (4th Gen),” Matt Davidson, senior product manager of Matter, Amazon.
Further, the company added that its Alexa iOS app will be updated in the spring to support adding Matter devices.
Matter support to Alexa devices
Last month, Amazon announced that it rolled out the latest smart home standard to 17 of its offerings. This will allow cutomers to pair Amazon smart speakers, displays and more with other Matter-enabled products from any company. Amazon said in a blog post that it has completed the first phase of Matter rollout. “Tens of millions of Alexa customers across the globe now have more ways to connect their devices with the availability of Matter over WiFi spanning 17 different Echo devices, Plugs, Switches, and Bulbs,” the company said.
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