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What I don't like about Matter is that the participants in the standard itself don't seem to be proceeding with the ideal of having an abstract, unified control

What I don't like about Matter is that the participants in the standard itself don't seem to be proceeding with the ideal of having an abstract, unified control device. From a further link [1] from the posted article: > Consumers will still need a lot of apps: One of the initial promises of Matter was that consumers would be able to add a device — like Amazon’s Echo — to their smart home controller but wouldn’t have to download a special app for every outlet or light switch they bring into the home. But at launch, and likely for a couple of years as the standard gets more robust, consumers will still need apps for anything beyond the basics, including installation. Even my panelists realized that this was the case. I hope these companies realize that they are basically excluding themselves from a lot of potential customers by pulling this crap. I would have put smart bulbs as upscale stocking stuffers every holiday season if it wasn't for the fact that I have no idea what product / version / "ecosystem" the potential recipients use. "Just install a new app" is not a reasonable solution. ---------------------------------------- [1] https://staceyoniot.com/5-ways-matter-will-disappoint-users-at-launch/ https://staceyoniot.com/5-ways-matter-will-disappoint-users-...

jkestner 4y ago
Right - there was no way that the giants would partner together unless they could create their own wedges. It seems that there will be a baseline standard that allows end users to use their hardware on any one of the platforms, but each platform will have their own requirements for developers, starting with proprietary integration for the "best customer experience".
balloob 4y ago
Give it some time. Since the software for devices is all available as open source, I expect a lot of commodity products (lights, switches) to be made available as pure Matter, without any apps, because it reduces the software development costs. The Matter early adopter companies are all companies with more expensive product lines.
ezfe 4y ago
HomeKit doesn't require an app for each device - sounds like Matter doesn't need one either, it's just that many devices expose controls Matter doesn't support. My HomeKit light switch doesn't have an app on my phone at all, never installed one - just scanned the HomeKit code and set it up.
- Analemma_ 4y ago
  It depends. A lot of HomeKit devices have basic functionality through just the Home app, but if you want anything advanced, you need the device app. My Philips Hue bulbs only do "gradually brighten at sunrise" through the Philips app, and Nanoleaf panels need their app to do anything more complex than on/off.
MBCook 4y ago
You’re not wrong. But I’m excited anyway. The fact I can (soon) stop having to check every device I’m interested in to see if it works with my ecosystem is great. I won’t have to settle for a worse device because the good one is Alexa (or whatever) only. Also? Thread rules. WiFi has been (mostly) reliable but needs constant power. Every Bluetooth home automation device I’ve tried was a total mess of pairing/connection issues. Thread devices have worked great so far so I’m happy to see it continue to get popular.

jkestner 4y ago

Right - there was no way that the giants would partner together unless they could create their own wedges. It seems that there will be a baseline standard that allows end users to use their hardware on any one of the platforms, but each platform will have their own requirements for developers, starting with proprietary integration for the "best customer experience".

balloob 4y ago

Give it some time. Since the software for devices is all available as open source, I expect a lot of commodity products (lights, switches) to be made available as pure Matter, without any apps, because it reduces the software development costs. The Matter early adopter companies are all companies with more expensive product lines.

ezfe 4y ago

HomeKit doesn't require an app for each device - sounds like Matter doesn't need one either, it's just that many devices expose controls Matter doesn't support. My HomeKit light switch doesn't have an app on my phone at all, never installed one - just scanned the HomeKit code and set it up.

Analemma_ 4y ago
It depends. A lot of HomeKit devices have basic functionality through just the Home app, but if you want anything advanced, you need the device app. My Philips Hue bulbs only do "gradually brighten at sunrise" through the Philips app, and Nanoleaf panels need their app to do anything more complex than on/off.

MBCook 4y ago

You’re not wrong. But I’m excited anyway. The fact I can (soon) stop having to check every device I’m interested in to see if it works with my ecosystem is great. I won’t have to settle for a worse device because the good one is Alexa (or whatever) only. Also? Thread rules. WiFi has been (mostly) reliable but needs constant power. Every Bluetooth home automation device I’ve tried was a total mess of pairing/connection issues. Thread devices have worked great so far so I’m happy to see it continue to get popular.