Matter 1.4 adds enhanced interoperability features for smart home ecosystems like Apple's HomeKit, including multi-platform device support and expanded energy management.
The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), the organization responsible for Matter, has now finalized version 1.4 of the specification (via The Verge), introducing a range of new device types and enhanced functionalities that promise to improve interoperability between smart home ecosystems, including HomeKit.
Matter 1.4 introduces support for home routers and access points (HRAPs) that are certified to operate as both Wi-Fi access points and Thread border routers. This means that any Matter-certified HRAP device will be able to enhance network stability and simplify smart home connectivity. Thread border routers allow Matter-enabled devices to connect across a home, regardless of which company manufactures them, while Matter-certified routers can securely store and share Thread network credentials.
The update also introduces Enhanced Multi-Admin, which allows users to add Matter devices to multiple ecosystems automatically with a single authorization. For example, a smart light or thermostat could be added to both Apple Home and Google Home without the need for multiple setup processes. Enhanced Multi-Admin achieves this by enabling "Fabric Sync," a system that allows each Matter ecosystem to securely communicate with other ecosystems a user has authorized.
Matter 1.4 also broadens its support for energy management devices. New categories include heat pumps, water heaters, battery walls, and solar energy devices, such as solar inverters and hybrid solar/battery systems. Matter 1.4's expanded energy management options allow devices to adjust their energy consumption based on demand.
While it's unclear exactly when Apple will introduce support for Matter 1.4's features, the CSA's bi-annual release schedule suggests that Apple and other Matter supporters will implement elements of the specification over the next few years.
