SmartThings "hub" the Station

The hubs don’t talk directly to each other, but they both talk to the cloud, so you can have them both on the same account.

From the verge article:

The good news is that you can run multiple SmartThings hubs, so if you started with the Station and then decided you did want to add Z-Wave, you could integrate an Aeotec hub into your setup. But Samsung told me that for entirely local automations, all devices involved must be on the same hub. If your devices are on different hubs, the automations on them will run in the cloud.

Also, it’s really important to understand that a “matter controller” is not necessarily in matter terminology considered a “matter device.“

You will not be able to use a Google nest home smart speaker to control an echo smart speaker, for example. Both are matter controllers, neither is a controllable “matter device.”

Same for the smartthings hubs. They are matter controllers, but not matter devices.

As far as the point, there are several top goals for the matter standard:

  1. let customers choose whatever app they want to use (that is matter compatible), and make it easy to add matter certified devices to that app. And to multiple apps.

  2. simplify the onboarding process so that it basically works like HomeKit: scan a QR code, and you’re done

  3. use more secure Wi-Fi for local communications from the matter certified devices to the matter controller. (Not to each other.)

All three of these are a big advantage over the current situation./Consumers should be able to select a device based on the logo on the box and know that it will work at their house whether their preferred voice assistant is Alexa, Google, or Siri. And whether their preferred app is Apple home or smartthings or IKEA.

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