It was back in May 2022 when Ikea proudly announced its Diregera hub, bringing the much-anticipated Matter support to its smart home lineup. And now, after quite a while, this upgrade that was initially scheduled to happen sooner has finally arrived.
Indeed, better late than never, as the addition of Matter support means that you can now effortlessly control all those compatible Ikea smart home products through the Apple Home app.
Matter essentially stands for HomeKit compatibility. It was created by the Connectivity Standards Alliance with the aim of ensuring that any smart home device can seamlessly function within any ecosystem. And it’s supported by the likes of Apple, Amazon, Google, and Samsung, which means that regardless of which of the major smart home systems you’re using, devices that are Matter-compatible will work without a hitch. For Apple users, then, a Matter-compatible device essentially functions in the same way as a HomeKit-compatible one.
Ikea offers an extensive range of smart home products, from charming light bulbs to sleek blinds, all at very affordable prices. However, while HomeKit compatibility was initially promised, it took a rather long time to materialize in the Trådfri hub, leaving Apple users a bit cautious. But the company’s Diregera hub was touted as the solution to fix this issue for good, promising a new Diregera hub with Matter support.
According to reports from The Verge, this long-awaited upgrade has now finally arrived. It’s mentioned that this is still a somewhat limited implementation, as you do need a hub when one of the key benefits of Matter is that it can be directly supported by the devices themselves. But it’s definitely a significant step in the right direction.
And as the piece notes, it’s still a somewhat limited implementation, as you need a hub, when one of the core benefits of Matter is that it can be directly supported by the devices themselves, but it’s at least a solid step along the way.
Photos: Ikea