Smart Home Matter and Thread explained

Are you also finding Matter and Thread confusing? We’ll try to explain it simply.

What is Matter & Thread

_{Article updated 31-5-2024}

According to Apple, Samsung, Amazon (Alexa), and Google, Matter is set to become the latest standard in Smart Home technology, aiming to ensure that all your devices can communicate seamlessly with each other. This communication can occur via various protocols, including the new Thread protocol.

We are already familiar with protocols such as WiFi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, and Z-Wave. If you have experience with smart home systems, you know that, for example, not every ZigBee device works with every ZigBee hub/gateway. The same applies to other protocols. This makes choosing a hub/gateway and/or smart device quite challenging, which is why we mention as much as possible whether a device is compatible with the hub/gateway you have or plan to acquire.

Ideally, we would only need to look at the Matter logo and be certain that the devices work together. However, we are not there yet, and often much more is required than what most manufacturers and retailers mention or make you believe. Only if the device supports Matter and communicates via the Thread protocol, and you have a Thread Border Router from the platform you want to use, such as the Apple HomeKit app with an Apple TV as the border router, can you be sure it works together, regardless of the brand. Alternatively, if the smart device operates via WiFi and is Matter-compatible, you can always choose to use it with Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, SmartThings, Tuya, and Home Assistant. At least, that is what is claimed, but whether it actually works this way remains to be seen, as we are already noticing differences per platform. For example, a Matter-Thread motion sensor with a lux (light) sensor works in Apple HomeKit but (yet) not in Amazon Alexa.

If the smart device and your Hub are only Matter compatible, and therefore do not communicate via Thread or WiFi, it still needs to be determined if the Bluetooth, ZigBee, and Z-Wave protocols are compatible with your Hub and which functionalities are supported. Thread is based on IPv6, which means Thread devices can communicate directly with each other via a Thread Border Router, similar to WiFi, while ZigBee and Z-Wave devices always need a hub, often the manufacturer’s own hub for the sensor or actuator.

It will still take some time before everything communicates via Matter over Thread or WiFi. And, apart from the fact that at the beginning of 2023 there are still very few devices on the market that support both Matter and Thread, you’re not going to suddenly discard all your Smart Home products. Your new Matter Hub, which must also function as a Thread Border Router, needs to be backwards compatible, allowing you to connect your old devices. Alternatively, you can add a separate Thread Border Router, such as an Apple TV (from the 2nd generation) or an Amazon Alexa Echo Dot 4th generation. This way, your new investments are at least prepared for the future. Lower in this article, you will find the current Thread Border Routers.

Some manufacturers will update their Hub OTA (Over The Air) for Matter, for example, the Aqara M2 hub which works with ZigBee, so you might think that any Matter ZigBee device can be connected to it. Unfortunately, this is not the case because the protocol is not Thread, and the ZigBee protocol still needs to be compatible with the Hub. For example, you cannot connect a Philips Hue Matter ZigBee bulb to an Aqara ZigBee Matter Hub M2 or vice versa. However, there is now also an Aqara Hub M3 with Thread support, though you still cannot connect a Thread device from another brand. Although Aqara indicates that they will implement this in the future via OTA updates, if you have many Aqara devices, you can continue to use them with the new Aqara Hub M3, as it also supports ZigBee. For WiFi and Ethernet devices, it’s different; they do not require a separate hub.

What You Need for Matter

1. Matter Commissioner - A Matter Commissioner is used to connect the Matter device to a Matter Controller during the pairing process. Your mobile device with the manufacturer's app facilitates the connection.

2. Matter Controller - The Matter Controller is the hub responsible for managing the Matter device once it is paired. To connect devices that are built on Thread, you need a Matter Controller that includes a Thread Border Router. Remember, you can have multiple controllers from different brands in your system using this protocol, and they can all work together. Often, you can connect Thread devices using a third-party Thread Border Router.

3. Matter Device - This is the smart home device you will be controlling. As long as the device has the Matter badge, you can connect it to any supported Matter Controller via the app. The Matter badge on the device's packaging indicates if the device requires a Matter Controller with a Thread Border Router.

4. Separate Thread Border Router - If your current Hub supports Matter but is not a Thread Border Router, and your smart device requires Thread, you will need a separate Thread Border Router. These can be the following devices;

Option 1: 2-in-1 Matter & Thread Border Router solutions include;

Option 2: Use a separate Matter Controller and a separate Thread Border Router

Some devices can function as a Matter Controller, possibly including your current hub or via an update, without having the Thread Border Router functionality. An example is the Aqara M2, Aeotec SmartThings V3 (WiFi only, Ethernet devices) or Apple HomePod 1st generation. By using a Thread Border Router (e.g., Apple TV from the 2nd generation, or the Amazon Echo 4th generation), you can easily use Matter on an additional platform via Thread, such as Apple Home.

Should I Switch to Only Matter/Thread Devices Now?

In an ideal world, you wouldn’t need to buy a hub/gateway anymore. “Matter will become cheaper for manufacturers. For a lighting company, for example, it will be cheaper to make an IP-based lamp than to continue building hubs,” says Chris LaPré, Head of Technology at CSA. “In the long run, Matter will take over, and eventually, you won’t need hubs anymore.”

However, Signify, owner of Philips Hue, has stated that it will continue to use a bridge/hub with its Zigbee-based lighting products and has no plans to make any of its other products directly Matter/Thread compatible. CEO Dimitar Dimitrov of Shelly also sees some disadvantages in Matter alongside its benefits. For instance, it increases costs because each update requires new Matter certification and incurs costs. Shelly Gen3 devices are likely to support Matter around Q3 2024.

Because the Matter specification was delayed several times and was only finalized at the end of 2022, several manufacturers—including Nanoleaf, Belkin WeMo, and Schlage—have Thread products on the shelves that they expected could be updated with Matter support but found that the hardware could not meet the software requirements of the final version. As a result, all these companies have announced plans to launch new Matter-compatible products in 2023. It may be a good idea to hold off on purchasing Matter/Thread products where the manufacturer promises future updates and instead wait until they offer definitive Matter support. At Home2Link, we also test products for functionality and note if something does not (yet) work.

The first Matter specification, Matter 1.0, supports only a few categories of smart home devices and only offers basic functions such as on/off; close/open; motion/no motion; dimming. Matter does not yet support advanced features like dynamic light effects, adaptive lighting, shared access codes for door locks, and energy management for smart plugs. However, these features might be available through your chosen smart home platform if supported. More functionalities will follow with Matter updates, but again, this depends on the implementation by manufacturers of the different platforms. See below the latest Matter-Thread supported device type list and functionality per platform;

DOWNLOADS

Matter-Thread Device Type List (ENG)

And what is the current benefit of Matter? Compatibility and functionality are still not so evident. Often your current Smart Home System already works with Siri, Alexa, or Google, and there is already an affordable solution to make your smart home system work with Apple HomeKit, such as our HomeBridge or Home Assistant. However, if you are investing in new products, Matter over Thread actors and sensors will prepare you for the future.

Our advice: only buy Matter and Thread devices that are already compatible and whose functionality has been tested, and is not dependent on a possible future update.
If you have doubts or questions, please contact us.