matter | SmartThings

Q&A: SmartThings and Nanoleaf on How We Keep Smart Homes Simple

May 11, 2023 / SmartThings / No Comments

The popcorn’s ready, and everyone’s gathered around the TV. It’s movie night, but tonight you’re taking it to the next level. With the tap of a button, your “movie night” routine activates in the SmartThings App, and then the magic happens. The movie starts, and your Nanoleaf Bulbs begin to dim, the Lightstrips mimic the surround sound, and the colors change to match the mood. It’s the perfect backdrop to family fun and a night of immersion.

That’s only the beginning of how Nanoleaf works with SmartThings. Dedicated to transforming home lighting through innovative smart lighting products, Nanoleaf offers a line of Matter-certified Bulbs and Lightstrips compatible with the SmartThings App—making your movie night setup, or any at-home experience, that much better.

To share more about our partnership—and teach our users about Matter—we hosted a live Twitter Q&A with Nanoleaf’s CEO, Gimmy Chu. Check out the highlights below, or keep reading for the full conversation.

The Highlights

SmartThings: How can you customize your space with Nanoleaf through the SmartThings app?

Nanoleaf: The SmartThings app lets you easily control your Nanoleaf lights, change their color and even set schedules! For example, you can customize your bedroom lighting by setting a “goodnight” routine, so your lights automatically change to a warm yellow at night to help your mind and body get ready for sleep.

SmartThings: How does Nanoleaf prioritize sustainability?

Nanoleaf: Nanoleaf’s Essentials products are manufactured using solar energy, and the LED Bulbs help to save over 29,000 gallons of water over a usage span of 10 years.

SmartThings: Where does Nanoleaf see smart home technology heading in the next 5-10 years?

Nanoleaf: The future of the smart home will evolve with more powerful automations that simply work, without any manual controls needed. Nanoleaf’s upcoming Sense+ Controls line creates a hands-free lighting experience with your lights turning on exactly when and how you need them.

Our full conversation with Nanoleaf

SmartThings: Thank you for joining us. Let’s jump right in. What are Nanoleaf lights and what makes them a Smart Home game changer?

Nanoleaf: We create smart lighting to customize your space. Our light panels and light bars are completely modular with 16M+ color options, giving you the freedom to personalize your lighting exactly how you want it. We also recently launched our Essentials Matter-certified line of Bulbs and Lightstrips to make smart home controls and automations much more seamless.

SmartThings: How can you customize your space with Nanoleaf through the SmartThings app?

Nanoleaf: The SmartThings app lets you easily control your Nanoleaf lights, change their color and even set schedules! For example, you can customize your bedroom lighting by setting a goodnight “routine,” so your lights automatically change to a warm yellow at night to help your mind and body get ready for sleep.

Now, we have a question for you. What are some benefits of using Nanoleaf with the SmartThings app?

SmartThings: We want users to connect Nanoleaf to our app to create custom routines catered to them. Looking for that extra layer of security at night? Set your living room lights to turn on at 10pm every night before bedtime to signify someone is home. Convenience and safety matter deeply to us!

Nanoleaf: And you recently unveiled the SmartThings Station! How does this differ from the SmartThings app?

SmartThings: SmartThings Station and the SmartThings app work together to create simple, smart home experiences. SmartThings Station is a hub and fast wireless charger, and the SmartThings app manages and controls your smart devices for seamless everyday living.

SmartThings: Sustainability is hugely important to us and our SmartThings Energy initiative. How is Nanoleaf prioritizing this?

Nanoleaf: Sustainability is at the core of who we are; we believe this should be a standard for all businesses. Our Essentials products are manufactured using solar energy, and the LED Bulbs help to save over 29,000 gallons of water over a usage span of 10 years.

SmartThings: We completely agree! For those looking to reduce their carbon footprint, activate SmartThings Energy for energy-saving and cost-lowering tips.

Now, let’s chat about Matter! How has Nanoleaf recently made an effort to work with all Matter-certified devices, and why is that so important?

Nanoleaf: Nanoleaf’s new Essentials Matter Bulbs & Lightstrips are the first Matter-certified lighting available to customers today. Building this new foundation with Matter will make smart living easier for users and enable more powerful automations in the future.

How will SmartThings and Matter, along with Connectivity Standards Alliance, work together to simplify the lives of smart home owners?

SmartThings: We truly believe Matter is the foundation and future of IoT! With this new standard, Matter-enabled devices will join numerous products and brands already available within our ecosystem, like Nanoleaf, to simplify the smart home. The integration of Matter allows our partners, along with Samsung’s Galaxy devices, TVs and Family Hub appliances, to have the most versatile connectivity options through the SmartThings app. You can learn more about that here: https://smartthings.com/matter.

We see smart home technology as a way to uplift your everyday living and meaningful moments. Where do you see the space heading in the next 5-10 years?

Nanoleaf: We agree! The future of the Smart Home will evolve with more powerful automations that simply work, without any manual controls needed. With our upcoming Sense+ Controls line, we envision a hands-free lighting experience with your lights turning on exactly when and how you need them.

Where does SmartThings see the smart home space heading in the next 5-10 years?

SmartThings: Smart Homes have gone from a niche market to an everyday experience, with most homes having between 5-7 connected devices. It’s so important that these devices connect to one another easily! The next 5-10 years will mean working with Matter partners like Nanoleaf to streamline and advance the future of smart living.

Thanks again, Nanoleaf and Mr. Chu for chatting with us. Stay tuned for more Q&As with our partners on Twitter!

Everything You Need to Know About Matter

April 3, 2023 / SmartThings / No Comments

Matter, a new industry protocol created by hundreds of leading and innovative companies (including Samsung), marks a new era for the smart home and its users. With a mission of simplifying the connected living experience, Matter makes it easy for users to buy, set up, and control smart devices. And while the new protocol is stirring a lot of buzz, many are wondering “how does it work?”

Our Marketing and Strategy Consultant, Daniel Moneta, who is also one of the leads of the Matter working group, let us in on everything you need to know about Matter (and how you’re likely already prepared to use it!).

Thanks for chatting with us, Daniel. Can you explain Matter in one sentence or less to someone who’s never heard of it?

Sure! Matter is an open-standard, common language for smart home devices that makes it way easier to get them set up and working together.

What devices connect with Matter?

Matter supports many of today’s most common smart home categories, with more to come in the future! Look for lights, plugs, blinds, door locks, thermostats, sensors, and other devices that have the Matter logo.

That’s exciting! Is Matter a new kind of radio technology?

Nope. Matter is an “application layer”, which means it can run over technologies already in your homes or devices — like Wi-Fi or Thread. Think of it like this: you and I can both have the same radio, but unless we speak the same language, we can’t really do anything interesting together. Technologies like Wi-Fi and Thread let you connect your devices, and Matter is the language they speak to each other.

What is Thread, and how is it related to Matter?

Matter devices can talk to each other over Ethernet (wired network), Wi-Fi, a new technology called Thread, or any combination.

Thread is a new, wireless networking technology. Like Wi-Fi, Thread is based on Internet Protocol (or IP), so Thread devices join your home network just like any other kind of device. Thread is low power, and uses mesh networking to extend devices’ range, so it’s commonly found in battery-powered devices or ones that might be placed farther away from your home router.

In order to join your network, Thread devices connect through a “Thread Border Router”, a kind of bridge device that joins your Thread network to your Wi-Fi or wired network (just like an access point or router does for Wi-Fi). Thread Border Routers from any brand can be used to connect Thread devices, and many are built-in to devices including smart home hubs, smart speakers, and lighting. The latest SmartThings Hub, SmartThings Station, Samsung TVs, and Samsung Family Hub refrigerators have Thread Border Routers built in.

How will Matter impact the lives of people who use multiple smart home devices on a daily basis?

Matter makes smart home devices more responsive and reliable because devices connect to each other directly within the home instead of going through the cloud. And its simple, standard setup process makes it easy and consistent to add new devices to your home, no matter the brand.

Does Matter need to be installed or will existing smart home devices be updated to support the protocol?

Odds are you’re already set for Matter! Major smart home platforms — including SmartThings of course — have already updated most of their hubs (or products with hubs in them like TVs or smart speakers) to support new Matter devices.

As for the devices, a number of existing smart home devices can be updated to Matter. Check with your favorite brands to find out how. But don’t worry: your existing non-Matter devices won’t stop working, and you can still control and automate Matter and non-Matter devices together in SmartThings.

Tell us more about smart home hubs. Do users need a hub to use Matter?

Yes, but you probably already have one! Matter devices connect locally, so you need a controller (or “hub”) from your favorite smart home platform to connect to and control devices when you’re at home, or away. Most smart home platforms — including SmartThings of course — have already updated devices like hubs, TVs, and smart speakers to be Matter controllers for their users.

Thank you, Daniel. Visit our website to learn more about Matter and how it works with SmartThings.

Samsung and Amazon team up to simplify Matter setup experience

November 3, 2022 / SmartThings / No Comments

As part of our effort to simplify setup and provide customers with increased choice and flexibility, Samsung is teaming up with Amazon to make it easy for customers to use SmartThings, Samsung’s connected living platform, or the Alexa service, to set up Matter devices once and control them using both smart home systems.

Samsung and Amazon’s collaboration will allow customers to easily tap into Matter’s multi-admin feature, as well as simplify onboarding while creating a unified Thread network in the home. Customers that opt-in will be able to control their Matter devices with both SmartThings and Alexa without having to set up devices on each smart home system. By sharing Thread network credentials, customers will benefit from streamlined setup for Thread based devices and a more reliable experience through wider coverage on a single Thread network.

“SmartThings customers have long enjoyed using Alexa’s voice capabilities to give them more ways to control the home. We are excited to work with Amazon to help simplify the smart home experience and provide more choice to our mutual customers on the types of devices and services they use in their homes.” said Jaeyeon Jung, Corporate Vice President and Head of SmartThings, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “This collaboration ultimately provides further interoperability and will help ensure the potential of Matter is fully realized.”

This collaboration is built upon upcoming Alexa APIs enabling bi-directional multi-admin simple setup and Thread credential sharing for Matter devices. These cloud-based APIs are designed to make complex technology fade into the background, allowing customers to effortlessly add Matter devices to their preferred services, realizing Matter’s promise of simplifying our customers’ smart home experience.

‘Matter’ Joins SmartThings Ecosystem, Paves Way for Expanded Connected Home Possibilities

May 12, 2021 / SmartThings / No Comments

We’re pleased to announce that a new protocol, Matter, will soon be integrated into the SmartThings ecosystem, marking a critical step in advancing smart home solutions and creating new opportunities for consumers and developers. Powered by market-proven technologies, Matter devices will interact with thousands of products and brands already within the SmartThings platform, allowing for even more versatility and flexibility.

Unveiled earlier this week, Matter is a royalty-free, open-source connectivity standard that will enable communication among a wide range of smart devices. SmartThings will fully integrate Matter into its powerful ecosystem, while continuing to support existing protocols including Zigbee, Z-Wave and more, ensuring no disruption to current connected homes. New and existing customers will still be able to leverage the powerful SmartThings automations to create rich smart home experiences.

For our developers, Matter opens the door of innovation, allowing more time to focus on creativity while reducing time spent of recreating efforts across various ecosystems. For our builder and real estate partners, Matter is the future of reliable connectivity, ensuring the widest choice in smart device compatibility at scale. The protocol allows them to unlock additional revenue, streamline installation and training, and ensure lasting quality for their customers.

Matter bridges the gaps between the past, present, and future connected devices by simplifying connected experiences and ensuring new devices can seamlessly be integrated into existing smart homes. As pioneers in the smart home industry from the very beginning, we believe this will become the de facto standard in every smart home in the world, and seamlessly be controlled by the SmartThings app.

SmartThings continues to be the glue that connects devices together across brands and platforms. With the addition of Matter, SmartThings maintains its stronghold position as a powerful and comprehensive ecosystem offering users more choices for their everyday lives.

This collaboration represents the next step in SmartThings’ commitment to providing an open environment and consumer-driven experiences. With 5,000 devices across 214 brands, SmartThings prides itself with its dedication to consumer choice. In the months ahead, SmartThings will continue to collaborate with other members of Connectivity Standards Alliance to shape the future of IoT and give customers a greater peace of mind.