Nobody ever mentions this, so I will! None of these smart locks work with the majority of UK doors to lock them, only to unlock. This is because they usually have multipoint locking systems that require that you raise the handle first to engage the locks around the frame before you can use the key to lock the door. They work fine to unlock, but make these devices very limited for UK use and I can’t see that changing as it would require a very different system and a lot of power to move that handle.
2 Likes
4 Likes
1 Like
Android 15 is adding a Thread network stack that, on some phones, will enable communicating with compatible smart home devices via Thread
From having a Thread network stack to being able to communicate directly with Matter devices there’s a long journey ahead, but we’ll arrive hopefully.
Just look at WiFi, phones have WiFi but they cannot communicate with Matter over WiFi devices, they talk to the Matter controller, sometimes even through the cloud like SmartThings, Alexa or Google Home apps do.
Having Thread on phones is interesting for battery optimization, no need to have WiFi active all the time at home to receive the typical push notification and would make the most of the mesh nature in places with poor WiFi signal.
2 Likes
Let’s hope they implement it as an end device and not as a FTD. Otherwise it would shake up the fabric too much if the device is removed.
https://openthread.io/guides/thread-primer/node-roles-and-types
1 Like
Being battery powered and mobile won’t be a FTD. An Android TV could be though.
As for Matter, for phones it should be like a remote using bindings. Another Matter feature not available in smart home platforms right now.
1 Like
My guess, although it’s just a guess, is that the publication has made an unnecessary leap from thread support to matter support.
Most analysts believe that Apple added thread support to the iPhone 15 not because of anything to do with matter, but rather to eventually replace some of the phone’s Bluetooth functions with thread because thread tends to be more stable and can also offer better range.
It would seem likely that android is adding thread support for the same reasons.
There Might eventually be a matter function of some kind, But as you know, that’s not what’s being announced. 
3 Likes
Indeed, they also state that Thread was “designed specifically for Matter” when it predates it by 5 years.
I find it interesting for smart watches too, my smart band is always complaining about being out of bluetooth range when the phone is on the other side of the apartment. And, while some models have WiFi, that eats the battery.
2 Likes
The solution to this is to fit a multipoint auto-engage, no power required, maybe some time and effort.
1 Like
That’s an interesting product. However, it looks like a maximum of 4-point securing rather than the five points we have, and I can’t see many people spending another £100 or so on this on top of the cost of the smart lock. It does make it actually possible though. I would like to see these being fitted as standard on new-builds. In the great scheme of a house purchase, the extra cost would be negligible.
1 Like
1 Like
The air quality sensor from the Welov Matter air purifier is exposed to ST now.
Edit: Previously I connected the air purifier to ST first and the air quality sensor was not exposed. I deleted it and added it to Apple Home first and then shared the code to ST and now the air quality sensor is available. Apple Home doesn’t support air purifiers yet. I have two of these and the other that’s connected to ST first does not expose the air quality sensor.
2 Likes
Meross is now taking pre-orders for its brand new MM wave sensor, which will be matter over Wi-Fi, not matter over bridge.
inexpensive for this device class at a list of $36, but it appears to only have one zone.
They’re also shipping it with an optional “pet shield“ which blocks the sensor from picking up movement at the floor level. They also suggest that could be helpful for ignoring robot vacuums.
I’m going to wait until it’s actually shipping to order (right now they have an expected ship date of late August, but no promises), but I know some people here are early adopters, so here’s the link:
Like all MM wave sensors, it has to be mains powered because of the amount of activity it’s doing.
They don’t show the SmartThings logo, but if it’s just exposed as a motion sensor, it should show up by via matter. Again, though, no promises.
4 Likes
If it identifies itself as deviceIDType 0x0107, Occupancy Sensor, then there is a generic fingerprint in the driver for it mapped to the motion-battery profile with those capabilities.
There are also profiles for multi-endpoint devices that map to motion-illuminance-battery, motion-illuminance-temperature-battery, and motion-contact-battery profiles with the capabilities as defined by the profile names.
No vendorId/productId specific fingerprints exist in the driver for this device and I don’t see any recent PR activity that would add that.
2 Likes
Yeah, but it’s not battery powered 
A post was split to a new topic: Lutron, Lutron Aurora, Matter, and SmartThings Questions
Aqara’s M3 hub and the Moes Matter hub (both discussed upthread) are both working on this idea, although at present the number of third party Zigbee Devices that you can add to either is pretty small.
They haven’t said anything officially, but my guess (just a guess) is that they’re waiting until the delivery of matter matches the vision. Their brand is all about reliability, I doubt if they want to touch matter right now with it being so different on different platforms.
3 Likes
@sdaltons See the attached info. about the Moes ZigBee to Matter Gateway. I made some updates tonight after Tuya pushed another Firmware upgrade. It is getting better.
1 Like