The user of a device control hub compatible with Google Home will be able to control a light bulb, a plug or any Matter compatible product locally, without going through the internet. It's true that going around the planet three times to turn on the light in the next room doesn't make much sense... The search engine has deployed this new feature in more than 40 million hubs: Google Nest, Chromecast, Android TV boxes under Android 14 or certain LG televisions.
Matter at the controls
The advantage for the user is obvious. Even if the internet goes out, it can turn lights or scenes on or off by asking Google Assistant — as long as all of those devices are within Wi-Fi range. Of course, we’ll have to see for ourselves, because home automation is fantastic, but it’s also a lot of trial and error and frustration! And that’s despite Matter trying to clean up the mess.
Google wants to be seen as a good citizen of Matter. In addition to supporting local control, the company is working with MediaTek on a new Trinity chip that combines Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, and Thread, the low-power networking that’s one of Matter’s pillars. Home automation product manufacturers will be able to use this chip, which the two partners promise will be “more affordable.”
Google is finally opening up the Home platform’s programming interfaces (APIs) to developers. The announcement was made during Google I/O last May, sparking the interest of nearly 2,000 developers. The beta version is now available for Android, and in a few months for iOS. These APIs are the essential toolboxes for developing apps and home automation products that are better integrated with Google Home… and therefore with Matter.
Source: Google
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