Apple-backed Matter smart home standard officially launches as iOS 16.1 adds support - 9to5Mac

The long-running push for the launch of the new smart home standard Matter is taking a big step forward.

The Connectivity Standards Alliance announced today that it, along with members of the alliance, are formally releasing the Matter 1.0 standard and certification program.

This opens the door to official product certification for the first Matter accessories, and it comes as the latest iOS 16.1 betas add support for the technology.

In a press release today, the Connectivity Standards Alliance revealed that the Matter 1.0 release means that test labs are open for product certification, as are test harnesses, tools, and the reference design, SDK.

Not only does this allow companies to release new products that are certified for Matter connectivity, it also means that companies can update their existing products to support Matter.

More than just a specification, the Matter 1.0 standard launches with test cases and comprehensive test tools for Alliance members and a global certification program including eight authorized test labs who are primed to test not only Matter, but also Matter’s underlying network technologies, Wi-Fi and Thread.

This initial release of Matter will support a number of the most common categories of smart home accessories: lighting and electrical, HVAC controls, window coverings and shades, safety and security sensors, door locks, media devices including TVs, controllers as both devices and applications, and bridges.

Today’s announcement of the official launch of Matter 1.0 comes as Apple has added initial support for Matter accessories in the beta version of iOS 16.1.

The Matter standard could be a major boon to smart home adoption and popularity.