Signify has announced that all Philips Hue smart lights and accessories will gain compatibility with the new smart home connectivity standard ‘Matter’ with a software update by the end of the year.
Matter, which was previously known as Project Connected Home over IP (CHIP) was announced by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) earlier this week and is expected to launch in the fourth quarter of the year. The royalty-free, unified IP-based connectivity protocol will enable smart devices to work together seamlessly.
Matter will also make it easier for smart home device manufacturers to create new products that are compatible with all popular smart home services and voice assistants — including Samsung’s SmartThings, Apple’s HomeKit, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa.
George Yianni, Head of Technology, Philips Hue, said in a statement:
Within Philips Hue, we are always looking to provide our users with the latest innovative and enhanced connected experiences with other smart home systems. By actively participating in demos and testing the interoperability of Philips Hue with other smart home devices via Matter we were able to raise the smart home experience with Philips Hue to the next level. I believe this single, unified connectivity standard will transform smart home technology from an emerging technology to mass household adoption.
Signify says it will be rolling out the software update with Matter integration to the Philips Hue Bridge soon after the standard is launched. Once the update is installed, Hue users will “benefit of a simplified connected experience when integrating with other smart home devices.” All settings and personalization across Hue products will remain after the update, which means users will be able to continue using features like light scenes, automated schedules, and more to personalize the best Philips Hue lights.
