Enhanced Article: Matter 1.5 Brings Camera Support and Advanced Smart Home Features

Matter, the smart home standard, three years after its launch, has introduced substantial camera support in its latest specifications, version 1.5. This move marks a significant achievement in the world of smart homes, as cameras have historically been among the least integrated and interoperable devices. The new support encompasses a wide array of surveillance camera types, including indoor and outdoor cameras, wired and battery-powered models, as well as video doorbells, baby monitors, pet cameras, and numerous other smart security solutions.

Matter 1.5 Update: Camera Support and More Innovations

Many existing smart security cameras are expected to become Matter-compatible with a simple over-the-air (OTA) update. The Matter 1.5 update is not limited to camera support but also adds a host of significant new features, including support for garage door controllers, smart soil moisture sensors, bidirectional charging for electric vehicles (EVs), and advanced integration with utility companies for improved home energy management.

Advantages of Integrating Cameras with Matter: Superior Flexibility and Control

The Matter standard allows users to seamlessly add any certified camera to their preferred smart home platform, whether it's Apple Home, Amazon’s Alexa, or Google Home. This means the ability to access and control cameras from various manufacturers in one place. Matter cameras will rely on Matter-over-WiFi (or Ethernet) technology, which is expected to enhance reliability and reduce latency, especially when streaming video footage to smart displays or using camera events, such as motion detection, to trigger other devices and execute smart home automations.

However, the full realization of these advantages depends on the extent to which each platform and manufacturer implements this support, specifically their decision to integrate camera support into Matter or not.

Matter Camera Capabilities: Advanced Security and Flexibility

According to the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), the organization responsible for developing Matter, Matter-certified home security cameras will support live video and audio streaming, two-way talk, as well as secure local and remote access. The standard also provides pan, tilt, and zoom (PTZ) control for cameras, and the ability to define detection and privacy zones to ensure maximum security and control.

In addition to live streaming, Matter 1.5 offers continuous and event-based recording options, with flexibility for local or cloud storage. It is worth noting that Matter does not cover the details of storing this footage but leaves that to the local or cloud storage options provided by device manufacturers and smart home platforms. This means a Matter-compatible camera may require a cloud subscription to review recorded footage. However, this also opens the door for the development of Network Video Recorders (NVRs) that record everything locally and work with all smart home platforms that support Matter cameras, without any reliance on the cloud.

All video footage will be encrypted in transit using the Matter standard, with end-to-end data encryption optional if the ecosystem chooses to use it. The standard supports streaming using the popular WebRTC protocol, as well as access via STUN and TURN, and will also support TCP transport. This includes all the diverse streaming technologies used by camera companies, which is one of the main reasons camera integration into the Matter specification took so long.

Matter does not define or limit camera footage resolution, nor does it dictate or manage features such as AI-powered detection types (e.g., person or package detection). These features will be part of each camera manufacturer's and platform's product differentiation strategy, through the addition of advanced AI-powered descriptive alerts. The CSA confirms that the standard is backward compatible, meaning most modern cameras in the market and homes can be updated to support Matter. However, the decision of which models will receive the update rests entirely with each manufacturer.

Expectations for Apple, Google, and Amazon's Support for Matter Cameras

Based on previous Matter rollouts, it typically takes at least one year from the specification release date for devices to become available in the market. Three years have passed since the launch of Matter 1.0, and we have seen a significant spread of compatible smart lights, plugs, and locks. However, other device types have taken longer to arrive. For example, large appliance support arrived in 2023 with Matter 1.2, and the number of certified devices in this sector is still limited.

However, given backward compatibility and the widespread popularity of security cameras, a much faster adoption is expected here, perhaps starting at CES 2026. Aqara, a key supporter of the Matter standard, plans to launch its first Matter-compatible camera in the first half of 2026 and also plans to add Matter support to some of its existing cameras through a software update. Meanwhile, Eve, another early adopter of the standard, has decided not to update its existing cameras but plans to introduce new Matter-enabled models in the future.

The three major companies – Apple Home, Amazon’s Alexa, and Google Home – have been slow to adopt new Matter device types. An Amazon spokeswoman stated that Ring or Blink do not currently support Matter and do not have a specific timeline for doing so. Google declined to comment on its Nest cameras.

However, it seems likely that Apple will support Matter cameras, especially since one of the camera project leaders on Matter's GitHub is an Apple engineer. If this happens, Matter cameras are expected to connect directly to Apple's existing HomeKit Secure Video platform and process video locally on your Apple Home Hub.

SmartThings is also likely to adopt this trend strongly, as Samsung abandoned its own camera devices years ago, and Matter could provide an opportunity for wider camera support. Home Assistant, meanwhile, already has Matter camera support in its future plans and is known for its excellent ability to integrate various cameras.

Regarding Google Home and Amazon’s Alexa, and given their tight integration with their own camera brands (Nest and Ring, respectively) and their new AI-powered features, rapid adoption of the Matter standard in this regard is not expected. However, both companies have long promoted the openness of their smart home platforms, so they are not expected to let Apple gain a significant lead in this area. Much will depend on the momentum Matter gains – the number of camera manufacturers adopting the standard, which in turn will depend on the number of major platforms that provide full support for it.

Cameras have long been a major missing piece of the Matter standard. On paper, the current implementation seems to meet all basic requirements. This, combined with the recent momentum gained by major companies like Ikea and Philips Hue fully supporting Matter, could provide a strong impetus for wider adoption of the standard.

Matter 1.5: Enhanced Energy Management and Garage Door Controllers

Recent updates to the Matter standard have focused on developing and enhancing energy management features. The standard, with its true interoperability, will facilitate controlling the power consumption of various devices in your home across multiple brands. Matter 1.5 completes the necessary infrastructure for this by adding a new device type called "Electricity Tariff."

This will allow utility companies to integrate with Matter and share real-time and forecasted pricing information, as well as data on the cleanliness of energy available on the grid. Subsequently, Matter devices in your home can receive this data and adapt automatically, either independently or through a Matter-enabled smart home platform with energy management capabilities. The Electricity Tariff device type can also integrate real-time or predictive data from home solar power systems, allowing the energy management system to track generated and consumed energy. Additionally, utility companies can use Matter to inform your home about grid needs, potentially providing more precise control for participants in demand response programs.

The latest energy management update in Matter 1.5 is support for bidirectional charging for electric vehicles, which allows you to use your electric vehicle as a power source to run your home. These are all excellent infrastructures for energy management, but so far, there are no Matter-certified products you can actually buy to support these capabilities.

Garage Door Controllers Arrive in Matter

Matter finally supports garage door controllers. Despite being announced as one of the first device types the standard would support, garage door controllers have not been part of the Matter specification until now. With version 1.5 and a new device type called "Closure Support," this category is now official. "Closures" will also include a variety of devices that move up and down or side to side, such as blinds, covers, awnings, and gates, and will offer more motion types currently supported in the specification.

A Smarter Garden with Matter Soil Sensors

Soil sensors, which measure moisture levels and temperature, have become an official device type in Matter. These sensors should be able to send data to a smart sprinkler or other irrigation system to help automate the watering process and improve its efficiency.

The Matter 1.5 specifications were officially launched today, allowing developers to start working with the available SDK and testing tools. However, as previously mentioned, it will likely take several months, if not years, before we see these new products widely available in our homes.

What is Matter? Understanding the Unified Smart Home Standard

Matter is a leading standard for smart home interoperability, designed to provide a common communication language for connected devices. The standard aims to enable these devices to communicate locally within your home, without heavy reliance on cloud connectivity. Matter features high security, privacy, easy setup, and wide compatibility with a large range of devices and platforms.

Matter was developed in collaboration with tech giants such as Apple, Amazon, Google, and Samsung, among other companies. It is an open-source software layer, based on the IP protocol for smart home devices. Matter operates across various communication technologies such as Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and the low-power mesh networking protocol Thread. Currently, the standard supports most major device types in the home, including security cameras, smart lighting solutions, thermostats, locks, robotic vacuums, refrigerators, dishwashers, dryers, ovens, smoke alarms, air quality monitors, EV chargers, and many other smart devices.

Any smart home device bearing the Matter logo can be set up and used with any Matter-compatible platform via a Matter controller. The device itself can also be controlled by more than one platform simultaneously, thanks to the "multi-admin" feature. Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Samsung SmartThings, and Apple Home are among the major smart home platforms that support Matter, in addition to hundreds of device manufacturers who have joined this standard.