Amazon announces Echo speakers will get Matter support soon

Amazon announces Echo speakers will get Matter support soon
Amazon announces Echo speakers will get Matter support soon

Previously, companies like Amazon, Apple, Google, Samsung, along with dozens of other firms have agreed to smart homes easier with a cross-platform open-source standard, Matter. Matter will come later this year.

Now, according to the latest news, Amazon has revealed the scope of its initial commitment that it will be upgrading almost every plugin Echo smart speaker with Matter support including most Echo and Echo Dot speakers. Amazon said every Echo Studio, Echo Show, Echo Plus, and Echo Flex will come with Matter support.

Amazon clarified that the only Echo smart speaker that won’t get Matter support is the first-generation Echo, first-generation Echo Dot, and Echo Tap. However, Amazon has not provided any timeline for those upgrades. Matter is supposed to launch in late 2021 so Amazon is expected to come with the support upgrades soon.

Now, there is still a question that is whether any of them will work as Matter hubs. Back in May, Google announced that in addition to upgrading its Nest devices to Matter, it would make devices supporting the Thread protocol (like the Nest Wi-Fi, Nest Hub Max, and second-gen Nest Hub) connection hubs for Matter. Amazon’s Echo smart speakers do not come with Thread support so it would be interesting to see what Amazon does.

Amazon made this announcement in its Alexa Live developer event today, where the company has revealed a handful of new capabilities for Alexa developers. In the event, Amazon said, “We will soon be rolling out tools that make it easy for you to build Matter certified devices, and are ready to start testing your Matter devices now.”

Meta: Amazon promises most Echo speakers will get Matter support.

Key: Amazon

Michael Turner
Michael is the Senior Editor at TheNewsPocket. He is an environmental activist with broad, deep experience in print and online writing, publication and site management, news coverage, and editorial team management.