The Matter Wishlist: 5 Devices We Need in Our Smart Home

While the Matter smart home standard is spreading to new device types, and adding functionality, it isn’t available on everything. Sure, key devices like light switches, smart plugs, and smart thermostats have Matter support, along with fans, curtains, and LEDs.

But what would really make the smart home pop and ping with the feels of Matter integration and interoperability? Robot cleaners (robovacs) have Matter support, as do air purifiers, TVs, and even Sonos speakers, but plenty of other devices – sometimes seen as smart, sometimes not – could also considerably improve the smart home experience under Matter.

Here are five device types we think could benefit from having Matter support.

Smart Kettles

I’m a big fan of smart kettles, having trialed the Wi-Fi enabled and app-controllable AppKettle back in 2016. While I realise that having a dedicated device to boil water isn’t particularly common in the USA, kettles are popular in Canada, the UK, and Europe, so this isn’t a big ask.

My experience using a smart kettle showed me that it was possible to program a kettle to switch on at a particular time. As long as it is filled – otherwise, boiling is disabled by sensors – it can be set to boil when desired, either using a timer or pressing a button on an app.

Extending the possibilities to a Matter automation means you could ensure the kettle starts to boil when you enter the house, or an external sensor detects your car pulling up in the drive. A verbal instruction to your smart speaker could also initiate boiling.

Tea, instant coffee, hot chocolate, whatever – smart kettles need Matter support!

Batteries and Solar Generators

One other way the Matter smart home could be improved is by adding support for battery storage systems, used for independent energy generation. Think solar panels and solar generators, biofuel, or even standard diesel generation.

Interactions with these devices via Matter could improve automations, perhaps based on time, or current capacity. They would also be able to send notifications via the user’s Matter hub app.

Fortunately, this is one area in which Matter is making ground. Our look at Matter 1.4 explains how “inverters, solar panels, and hybrid solar/battery systems” along with “battery walls, storage units, and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)” are being included in the specification.

By late 2025, we reckon Matter 1.4-compatible smart battery storage and generation systems should be available.

Game Consoles and Streaming Sticks

Some of the most commonly-used devices in the home have so far been wholly avoided by Matter. While we have some Matter-enabled TVs, the devices typically connected to them have so far avoided becoming part of the smart home.

Which is somewhat odd, as they’re typically smart.

Now, we’re not going to blame older consoles for not being matter-compatible. However, recent revisions could have benefited from Matter-based automation. Given how long it takes some games to update, it would be useful to have a console start up with a specific title selected while you drive home.

(Or fly, if it’s a particularly large update…)

Streaming sticks, meanwhile, are one generation away from being smart speakers, so perhaps we’ll see them embracing Matter sooner rather than later. These are potential smart home devices for beginners - it makes sense to incorporate them in the Matter spec as soon as possible.

Dishwashers Could Be Smarter

You load up the pots, you fill the detergent reservoir, and you shut the door. Straightaway, the dishwasher runs. Or maybe later, with a timer.

But with modern smart home integration through Matter, a dishwasher could be set to activate when specific conditions are met. Perhaps you like a warm bowl for your morning porridge? What better way to ensure this than with a dishwasher, cleaning your favorite cereal bowl with hot water?

Along with the usual energy efficiency time-slots, a dishwasher in a home with thin walls could be set to run when a sensor detects you’re in a particularly deep sleep.

Some Matter kitchen tech is already available, and one manufacturer, Midea, has demonstrated a Matter dishwasher... but it's not yet available.

Laptop Docks

While laptop docks have improved considerably over the past few years (thanks mainly to USB Type-C), there is another feature they could add.

A Matter-enabled dock could ensure your laptop charges more efficiently and that any attached devices can be powered down when not in use. You could also oversee the power status of an idle computer remotely, or control how it is used. Perhaps control the dock via Matter and a hub app to disable Ethernet access, or to disconnect any attached USB devices or HDMI/DisplayPort monitors.

Making the Wishlist Matter

Having a wishlist on the go – especially at this time of year – is not exactly uncommon. To be fair, Matter has a long way to go in terms of reaching a better level of compatibility between manufacturers. It’s preferable that the Multi-Admin feature is enhanced in Matter 1.4 is overcome, rather than ensuring dishwashers can clean with a single command through Alexa.

Then again, it wouldn’t be bad to have both coming along soon, would it?

Read more about how Matter is unifying smart home devices.