Affiliate Disclosure
If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Read our ethics policy.

New HomeKit devices, Matter improves, plus more smart home news

Matter gets upgraded with bug fixes, more new smart home devices are announced, and we test the new Eve Flare on this week's Homekit Insider podcast.

It was an unusually busy week in the smart home space with several new products aiming to hit the market before WWDC announcements take over the news cycle. That also includes the release of an improved version of Matter, the platform that will allow users to mix and match devices between HomeKit and other smart home platforms.

The new Matter 1.1 has been released to manufacturers and fixes a number of known bugs, but contains no new user-facing features. It's still a good time to go into our current experience with Matter, look at how it is working — and what may be coming next.

Speaking of Matter, the Yale Assure SL smart lock now supports it. The lock can be purchased with a Matter-enabled module to allow universal smart home control.

Yeelight now supports Matter, too. Although its "pro" line has been updated first, and its consumer one is yet to follow.

Meanwhile, Meross has a new smart socket thermostat for European users, and Aqara has new switches and curtain controllers.

After the news, we discuss our impressions of Final Cut Pro for iPad, some personal projects, and why Max had a terrible launch.

Subscribe and listen to our AppleInsider Daily podcast for the latest Apple news Monday through Friday. You can find it on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

Those interested in sponsoring the show can reach out to us at: andrew@appleinsider.com

Keep up with everything Apple in the weekly AppleInsider Podcast — and get a fast news update from AppleInsider Daily. Just say, "Hey, Siri," to your HomePod mini and ask for these podcasts, and our latest HomeKit Insider episode too. If you want an ad-free main AppleInsider Podcast experience, you can support the AppleInsider podcast by subscribing for $5 per month through Apple's Podcasts app, or via Patreon if you prefer any other podcast player.



2 Comments

coolfactor 20 Years · 2341 comments

I recently got the Aqara G4 Doorbell. Not entirely happy with it. Very good industrial design, but software-wise, it needs to improve. Seems to only work on 2.4GHz WiFi networks, so mixed networks (2.4 and 5.0GHz) give some grief. On my particular network, I can't get it to bind in the Aquara app. It only works with the Home app, and I can't get an outside connection, so it is only viewable when I'm on the same WiFi network. Been a pain in the ... apple.

coolfactor 20 Years · 2341 comments

Regarding Matter, isn't it a protocol? Curious how there can be "bug fixes" in a protocol. It might have a refined specification that addresses known issues, but any bug fixes would be in the implementing software, not the protocol, right?