Matter Enabled

Smart Lighting
CHIP Enabled-Smart Lighting
Smart lighting is one of the most

popular parts of the modern smart
home. With more and more brands
popping up, the industry continues to Two of the most recent
grow exponentially. Smart lighting is additions to the wireless
essentially lighting of various types communication family are
that can be controlled wirelessly, Thread and Matter (formerly
using wireless communication called “CHIP”)
protocols such as Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-
Wave, or LoRa – just to name a few.
Starting out with mainly just smart
bulbs, manufacturers that produce smart lighting now make a host of other lighting
options; such as strip lights, pedestal lights for outdoor walkways, and even a variety
of decorative light fixtures which includes lighted wall panels.
Smart lighting can display a dazzling array of colors, be dimmed and brightened, and
in general be configured any way your heart desires.
Smart Lighting
However, with changing needs and new spins on technology, newer, faster, and
more secure wireless connection protocols are becoming available. These are poised
to enhance the functionality of the smart home.
Two of the most recent additions to the wireless communication family are Thread
and Matter (formerly called “CHIP”). Both have their own unique advantages and
play their own special role in the smart home world.
But what are Thread and Matter, and which smart lighting products support their
use? The table below summarizes exactly what we know right now – which
unfortunately is that many companies haven’t declared their intention!
 GE lighting confirmed it will produce

matter-compatible A19 Cync Full
color direct connect smart Bulbs and
Cync Indoor smart plugs later this
year, but it will not upgrade existing
Smart Lighting
devices to support Matter. While it does plan to bring more matter-

compatible products to market this year, its new Dynamic Effects products,
announced at CES 2023 and coming later this year, won’t have matter support
at launch.
This is because Matter doesn’t currently support the type of dynamic lighting
effects that are the main feature of the lights. Patrick Miltner of GE Lighting
told The Verge that the company might change that plan if and when Matter
supports more advanced lighting functions. He also said it could upgrade all of
the existing Direct Connect Cync lighting products to Matter with an over-the-
air firmware update and will evaluate the benefit of doing that as Matter
support rolls out more broadly across the industry.
 Smart lighting manufacturer Yeelight announced its new Cube Smart Lamp
with Matter support as
well as new products for
its Yeelight Pro smart
lighting series, which will
support Matter with an
over-the-air update
before Q2 2023. Yeelight
also announced an
automatic curtain opener,
which won’t work with
Matter at launch.
 Aqara — whose smart home hub will be updated to support Matter this
month — unveiled a new Presence Sensor FP2 ($60, coming Q2), T1 LED light
strip.
 Nanoleaf announced its first Thread-based smart switches, which will be
Matter compatible. The Sense Plus Smart Light Switch and Sense Plus Smart
Wireless Light Switch will work with the new Nala Bridge, which is also a
Thread border router and a motion sensor / night light. The company’s new
Nanoleaf Skylight modular ceiling panel is also Matter compatible over Wi-Fi
and can act as a Thread border router. Nanoleaf confirmed its Matter-enabled,
Thread-powered Essentials light bulbs and light strips will arrive in Q1 and that
it will be upgrading its existing modular light panels and light bars (Shapes,
Elements, Canvas, and Lines) to Matter.
Smart Lights That Support Thread

Smart Lighting
One of the first, and most notable manufacturers to integrate Thread into their
smart lighting, is the forward-thinking Nanoleaf.
In 2021, they introduced Thread

border routers into their line of smart
lighting panels, as well as their
Smarter Essentials line of smart bulbs
and light strips. Doing this put them in
line to have one of the most advanced
smart lighting setups on the market
today.
However, when it comes to other big-

name contenders such as LIFX, Ring,
Philips, and TP-Link’s Kasa, the word
on support for Thread in their smart
lights is still up in the air. These
companies haven’t announced
whether they will, or won’t support
the newer IoT protocol.
It could possibly be that doing so would require significant updates and changes to
already established systems and equipment, and they’re weighing the pros and cons
of such an undertaking. Whatever the case may be, they haven’t announced
anything regarding their planned support for Thread.
For example in the case of Philips Hue, the Hue Bridge v2 would require new
hardware to support Thread (it currently just supports ZigBee and Ethernet), so it’s
unlikely that Hue will support Thread unless a Hue Bridge v3 is announced.
However, it stands to reason as time goes on, and once they realize that the
competition is upping their game and offering Thread support, they may have to as
well. In order to stay in the running, especially with their more tech-savvy customers,
these companies may be more willing to make adjustments in the future.
Why Thread and Matter Support Helps Smart Lights

Smart Lighting
These two up-and-coming wireless protocols are set to make the world of the smart
home user that much easier.
When it comes to Thread, it offers low power consumption, thereby reducing your

energy bill and the battery usage of any devices that are using Thread. It also
features a self-healing, mesh network that is stronger than a traditional Wi-Fi
network. What does this mean for you? Reduced response time, and lights that keep
on working even if one node or device on the network fails to respond.
Thread also eliminates the need for a separate hub or bridge – a Thread Border
Router is often integrated directly into Thread products. This would have been
especially convenient in the recent case of Philips Hue upgrading their Hue Bridge.
Had they utilized Thread, there would be no need for a new bridge or a bridge at all
for that matter – which also reduces cost.
In terms of Matter, the most convenient part of this system is that it allows devices
from multiple manufacturers (Google, Amazon, Apple, etc) and multiple wireless
communication protocols (Wi-Fi, Thread, Bluetooth, etc) to communicate
harmoniously, giving you the ability to control all of your devices from one central
point, without having to deal with various hubs and bridges.
Will Thread and Matter Take Over ?
Not likely – at least not yet. This question is especially a concern for those who
operate Zigbee and Z-Wave systems – and aren’t looking to change that anytime
soon. After all, after investing in setting up your smart home a certain way, the last
thing you want to have to worry about is making significant changes all of a sudden!
But fear not! Since both Thread and Matter are fairly new and still being improved,
they won’t be replacing any current communication standards at the moment. More
manufacturers are joining up with Matter, and figuring out how to make their
products compliant in the process. All of this takes time.
The same goes for Thread. While Thread has been around a little longer, especially
when it comes to Apple HomeKit, many other manufacturers are still navigating the
Smart Lighting
process of including Thread border routers into their devices. This also takes time.
Technology is advancing quickly, and while it may seem like it sometimes, it doesn’t
happen overnight.
Because so many people already operate Zigbee and Z-Wave devices, it’s highly

unlikely that these protocols will get replaced by Matter – but rather be integrated
into the system down the line.
Conclusion
CHIP makes the idea of a smart home ecosystem become a reality. An ecosystem, in
terms of the smart home, is when multiple devices from different manufacturers and
communication protocols are all operated together, with one remote or device
controlling them all – as opposed to each being controlled by their respective hubs.
For example, instead of using the Nanoleaf app to control your lights, you can use a
Matter-compatible remote and be able to control all of your Nanoleaf lights. This
extends to lights from any other brand as well. As long as they’re compatible with
Matter, you can control all of your lights with just that one remote.
Matter is designed to work with and unite Wi-Fi, as well as Thread, and to a limited
capacity, Bluetooth.
So keep an eye out on your favorite smart home products for Thread and Matter
logos – because it’s coming!
Smart Lighting

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Smart Lighting

CHIP Enabled-Smart Lighting

Smart lighting is one of the most

 GE lighting confirmed it will produce

devices to support Matter. While it does plan to bring more matter-

Smart Lights That Support Thread

In 2021, they introduced Thread

However, when it comes to other big-

Why Thread and Matter Support Helps Smart Lights

When it comes to Thread, it offers low power consumption, thereby reducing your

Will Thread and Matter Take Over ?

Because so many people already operate Zigbee and Z-Wave devices, it’s highly

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