What you need to know
- Project CHIP is being rebranded to Matter as product certifications approach.
- The Zigbee Alliance is also being renamed the Connectivity Standards Alliance.
- The first Matter-certified devices are expected to arrive later this year.
Project Connected Home over IP (CHIP) is getting rebranded to Matter. The announcement comes as the Zigbee Alliance, which consists of companies like Amazon, Google, and Apple, also rebrands itself to the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA).
The group rebranding should help avoid any confusion between the Zigbee network and what was formerly Zigbee Alliance. However, the goal is still the same; to create a unified IoT standard that will allow smart home devices to work on any ecosystem. That means you'll eventually be able to pick up any of the best smart home products under $100, for example, and be confident that it'll work with your system, whether you have a Nest Hub (2nd Gen) or Echo Show 10 (3rd Gen).
The logo unveiled alongside the new Matter branding will be included with every Matter-certified product when they launch later this year. The mark is meant to represent unification, as noted in the press release:
The three arrow forms meeting in the Matter symbol communicate the brand promise of convergence and connectivity in its most distilled visual form. Its geometric construction and triangular nature express security and utility.
The announcement follows the approval of the Matter base specification earlier this month, which paves the way for the first Matter-certified products to launch by the end of the year. That includes lighting, thermometers, security, TVs, and more. Manufacturers are also planning to update existing devices to support the new protocols, but it may depend on the device and manufacturer.
It sees you when you're sleeping
The new Nest Hub gets some useful upgrades from its predecessor, including the new Soli sleep tracking feature that uses radar to tell you how restful your sleep was based on environmental factors. The new Nest Hub is practically future-proof thanks to its support for the new Matter protocols.
Have you listened to this week's Android Central Podcast?
Every week, the Android Central Podcast brings you the latest tech news, analysis and hot takes, with familiar co-hosts and special guests.
