promise of The interoperability that Matter was supposed to bring to your smart home gadgets is a slow process, but it’s starting to deliver, and adding cameras in the 1.5 release might be the biggest win yet. The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) says the latest release supports all types of cameras, so we’re talking indoor security cameras, outdoor security cameras, video doorbells, baby monitors, and pet cameras.
This can vastly improve a severely fragmented landscape, allowing you to easily add and access your cameras on any platform you choose. This is also something that could potentially be delivered in a software update, so some cameras you already have may get Matter support.
You may be concerned about limitations, but the supported feature list is impressive, including video and audio streaming, two-way communication, local and remote access, multiple streams, pan-tilt-zoom controls, and both detection and privacy zones. There is also support for continuous or event-based recording locally or in the cloud. What it won’t handle is how storage is managed, meaning some camera manufacturers will still require you to use their cloud-based subscription models.
Pleasantly, there are no limits on resolution, unlike restrictions on Apple HomeKit Secure Video or AI detection features. Matter is using WebRTC technology, with remote access controlled via STUN and TURN protocols, meaning creators can choose to apply end-to-end encryption to footage. TCP transport support is designed to allow more efficient and reliable transmission of lots of data, such as that which video cameras produce, which should reduce the load on your Wi-Fi and impact on camera battery life.
While this is very exciting news and the potential backward compatibility is commendable, there’s no telling when you’ll see it in your home camera. The big trio: Apple, Amazon and Google have not yet announced any plans to adopt Matter in their cameras.
However, Matter 1.5 isn’t just about cameras — it also revamps support for closers ranging from garage doors to smart window shades, allowing a variety of speeds and configurations. There’s also soil sensor support for measuring moisture and temperature and potentially triggering miter-based water valves and irrigation systems.
Advanced energy management features are the final addition. Matter 1.5 enables devices to exchange data on energy pricing, tariffs and grid operations, allowing you to potentially get a true cost picture of your gadgets in energy use, costs and carbon impact. EV charging has also been promoted with state-of-charge reporting and bi-directional charging that could enable vehicle-to-grid schemes in the future.
While the Miter 1.5 spec is now available, it will take a while for developers to adopt it and get their devices certified by CSA. Expect some announcements at CES 2026. ,simon hill
Google’s Gemini launched on Android Auto
Google has been gradually replacing its long-running Google Assistant with the souped-up Gemini AI chatbot across all its platforms over the past year. After deploying it on its Wear OS smartwatches and recently adding it directly to Google Maps, the company is bringing it to Android Auto. Google says the rollout will happen in the coming months to any Android Auto users who have upgraded to Gemini from Google Assistant on their phones.