A recent announcement from Amazon assures that support for Matter is coming soon seventeen Echo speakers. As a reminder, Matter is a standard that promotes the interoperability of connected objects without having to connect to the cloud. A kind of local network based on Wi-Fi and the Thread standard, where Apple, Google or even Samsung, Eve and even the manufacturer Ikea collaborate. This therefore opens the door to HomeKit compatibility if Cupertino doesn’t veto it.
The new Amazon products that will be eligible for Matter are:
- Echo Dot (fifth generation)
- Echo Dot (fifth generation) with clock
- Echo Dot (fourth generation)
- Echo Dot (fourth generation) with clock
- Echo Dot (third generation)
- Echo Dot (third generation) with clock
- Amazon Echo (fourth generation)
- Amazon Echo (third generation)
- Echo Studio
- Echo Show 10 (third generation)
- Echo Show 8 (second generation)
- Echo Show 8 (first generation)
- Echo Show 5 (second generation)
- Echo Show 5 (first generation)
- Echo input
- Echo Flex
- Echo Plus (second generation)
First for Android
According to Amazon, only smartphones running Android will be supported initially. This therefore means that you will not immediately be able to enjoy it on the iPhone: to do this, you will have to wait 2023. The exact date of implementation is not known at this time.
Once Matter arrives on that Amazon Echo, users will then be able to use their smart speaker to control their compatible bulbs, switches or sockets. We especially think of the case of the Light Switch, which was updated a short time ago for the occasion. Alexa, Amazon’s voice assistant, is already relatively good at getting quick and clear answers. Siri, for its part, allows you to interact with your HomeKit home automation installations via HomePod or HomePod mini.
A lag due to iOS?
The delay in iOS support in this case is explained because the terms of service for Apple systems are slightly more respected. The App Store is also quite famous for not making life easy for third-party developers, favoring a maximum of software from the company to the apple, sometimes to the detriment of competitors. This has even challenged the legislators who propose to investigate such practices which may be anti-competitive.