Google’s Matter Upgrade Just Hit Android And Nest: Why That’s Huge – SlashGear

Matter is a standard protocol that more than 300 companies have agreed to support as part of the Connectivity Standards Alliance. While it’s still in its infancy, Matter promises to make communications seamless between devices, no matter who you bought them from — no pun intended. For instance, your Nest thermostat will be controllable by the same hub that controls your smart lights, and they could theoretically speak to each other, too.

Technology like this requires broad, ubiquitous support. Thankfully, the CSA’s governing council comprises most of the major players making these types of devices, including Google, Amazon, Apple, LG, Samsung, ARM, and Texas Instruments. Its list of willing participants runs deep, with nearly every major player in the technology industry included in the exhaustive roster.

This is the same alliance that pushes Zigbee, another widely adopted inter-connective protocol used by many of today’s networking and smart home devices. Matter is the next evolution of it, promising the all-encompassing solution that aims to eliminate smart home devices’ wonky setup conditions that scare away all but the most seasoned tech enthusiasts.

While it’s still early for Matter, 2023 is expected to be a big year, with many existing devices receiving updates and newer devices hitting the market with support out of the box. It’ll be a gradual snowball from there, with devices that’ll simply work faster, better, and easier as time moves on, all without added effort on your part.