Eve, the popular HomeKit product manufacturer, has announced that it will be releasing an optional firmware update for its Eve Energy, Eve Door & Window, and Eve Motion products, making them the first Thread products available on the market for the new Matter standard. This update will allow customers to connect their Eve products to the Samsung SmartThings ecosystem and, coming soon, Google Home and Amazon Alexa.
Existing owners of these devices can sign up for the Eve x Matter Early Access Program to get early access to the firmware update. One of the biggest benefits of the firmware update is that customers will not lose access to the custom features they have grown accustomed to using with HomeKit. Eve products will continue to offer unique functionality on HomeKit, so customers who decide to upgrade to Matter will still be able to use features like autonomous schedules, child locks, and advanced automations in the Eve and Apple Home apps.
To update their devices to Matter, customers will need a Thread Border Router capable Home Hub like a HomePod mini, Apple TV 4K (2nd gen.), or Apple TV 4K (3rd gen. 128 GB) connected to their Wi-Fi and updated to the latest version of tvOS. You will also need an iPhone or iPad running iOS/iPadOS 16.2 or later to upgrade the firmware on their Eve devices using the Eve iPhone app.
Matter builds on the existing HomeKit framework, adding support for new communication protocols like Thread and Bluetooth LE to enable a wider range of devices to connect to HomeKit. One of the key benefits of Matter is its ability to allow smart home devices to communicate directly with each other rather than having to go through a central hub or bridge. This will make it easier for devices to share information and respond to commands, resulting in a more seamless and efficient smart home experience.
Matter will also support the creation of “mesh networks” in which smart home devices can communicate with each other, even if they are not in range of a central hub. This will make it easier for smart home devices to stay connected and responsive, even in larger homes or homes with poor Wi-Fi coverage.
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