Home LivingSmart HomeOlder Amazon Echos are getting a free upgrade that really MattersA new, free Alexa update brings Matter support to more of Amazon’s Echo smart speakersWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Home LivingSmart HomeOlder Amazon Echos are getting a free upgrade that really MattersA new, free Alexa update brings Matter support to more of Amazon’s Echo smart speakersWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
A new, free Alexa update brings Matter support to more of Amazon’s Echo smart speakers
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Amazon)
(Image credit: Amazon)
Even thebest smart speakerscan be made better – and withMattermaking it easier for different firms' smart home tech to interact with each other, Matter upgrades are well worth having.Amazonhas alreadyupgradedmany of its existing smart speakers to support Matter, and it’s now published a new Alexa update that brings the tech to older Echo devices too.
This newupdateis relevant to two generations in particular: the second generation Echo,Echo Plus, and Echo Dot, which can now be used as Matter controllers, and theEcho 4th Generation, which can now be configured as a Thread border router. That adds to its existing support for Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Bluetooth Low Energy Mesh and plain old Matter: Thread is a smart home connection just like Zigbee or Bluetooth LE Mesh, so Matter Over Thread means the 4th Generation Echo can use the Matter protocol via Thread networking. It’s simpler than that sounds, I promise.
Amazon also adds Echo support for Eve devices
The update is also good news for anybody who has or plans to buy Eve devices but who didn’t want to shell out forAppleHomeKit-enabled products to control them. Matter Over Thread meansAlexacan now communicate directly with multiple Eve devices, and Amazon says it’ll also introduce easier setup for Eve Energy, Eve Motion and Eve Door & Window devices later this year.
Amazon deserves credit here: it was one of the first big names to really get enthusiastic about Matter, and so far it’s more than kept its promises to bring Matter to as many of its devices as possible – including the ones you already own. For many firms Matter is something they prefer to add only to their very newest devices, and as a result the standard isn’t yet as popular as it will be in a year or two. For now you still need to check the spec sheet carefully if you want your smart home kit to be as flexible and as future-proof as possible.
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