Building a smart home across different brands? Here's what you should know
When building a smart home, knowing which devices will work together can be tricky. Luckily, there are a few ways to get them all talking to each other.
Creating a smart home with devices from various brands is not as daunting as it may seem. The simplest method is to opt for one of the three major smart home platforms: Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or Apple Home (also known as HomeKit). These platforms are designed to handle multiple brand devices, so all you generally need to do is ensure the product has the “Works With” label and follow the platform’s pairing instructions.
However, this is typically only true because there might be specific requirements, such as support for a certain wireless standard.
For those who are more technically inclined, Home Assistant is another popular option. It’s an open-source platform that can integrate with other multi-brand systems. This platform is more suited to users who are comfortable with technical concepts, so if you find the idea of setting up a hub on a Raspberry Pi daunting, you may find the big three platforms more user-friendly.
A significant advancement in this field is Matter, a universal pairing protocol. If a device supports Matter, it can be connected to any of the aforementioned platforms. However, there are a few caveats. Firstly, you’ll need a device on your chosen platform that’s marked as a Matter controller, typically a hub, smart speaker, or smart display.
Secondly, pairing through Matter can limit the accessory to basic functions rather than the full feature set. Lastly, not all product categories support Matter, although most essential ones do, including light bulbs and EV chargers.
Wireless technology also plays a crucial role. Hubs based on mesh protocols like Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Thread can connect accessories from multiple brands. However, if a hub doesn’t support Matter, it may not be able to pair with accessories from other brands, despite the industry-wide standards these protocols set out to establish.
Consider the devices you want to control when choosing a platform. Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and HomeKit all have apps for both iOS and Android, but HomeKit is exclusive to Apple devices. You might find one platform’s interface more intuitive than another. It’s generally easier to pair accessories with two or more platforms, but unless you’re deeply invested in tech, it’s usually simpler to stick with one platform.
Lastly, consider the variety and quality of accessories each platform supports. Alexa and Google Home have the widest support, while HomeKit ranks much lower. If you’re particularly interested in Apple’s HomeView display or integrating HomePods with your Apple TV 4K, you may be able to make do with the limited selection of third-party HomeKit products.
Written by urgent.news from Engadget's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
