Dear Backers,
We have finally released Matter Controller support as a Beta for all Flic Hubs!\xa0
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Which devices can I now control?
In the Beta we have added full support for Smart Lights and Smart Plugs. Any Matter-enabled light can be controlled using the innovative features of the dial on the Flic Twist, such as Smart Dimming, Advanced Dimming, Scene Blender and the Selector. In the next release, we will be adding a generic “Joker” which will be a feature that allows you to trigger any command for any Matter-enabled device.
In the app, under the list of providers you will find Matter. There, you’ll be able to scan for Matter devices and start setting them up.
- Smart Lights
- Smart Plugs
- ”Joker” -> Next release\xa0
This website tries to keep track of devices that announced and released their Matter-enabled devices. You can find the list here:\xa0Matter Compatible Products Overview.
Feedback
If you have a Matter device that would need support for the dial on Flic Twist or if you have any feedback, please share it with us using the link below:\xa0Feedback form.
How do I get started?
All Flic Hubs will automatically receive a firmware update. Just make sure that your app has the latest version.
- Hub Firmware version 4.3.0
- iOS version 6.1.0
- Android update coming soon, version 3.11.0
Flic Hub Mini - Probably the World’s Smallest Matter Controller
Each Matter-enabled home needs a Matter Controller. You can have multiple Matter Controllers running simultaneously, but independently in your home.\xa0
Any Matter-enabled device that uses WiFi can be controlled directly by the Flic Hubs in your local home network. In the beta, it is limited to Lights and Plugs and will be expanded to any Matter-enabled device with the generic “Joker” feature that is coming in the next release.
Mind that devices that use Thread require a Matter-enabled Border Router and devices that use Zigbee require a Matter-enabled Bridge. For that reason not all devices are listed in the\xa0Matter Compatible Products Overview, for example IKEA only has their soon-to-be Matter-enabled Bridge listed while they have a lot of products that will be supported.
What took so long?
The goal of Matter is simple: to let anything be controlled by anything. However, achieving this goal requires a lot of technology under the hood to ensure compatibility and security between every imaginable device type. This is very hard, both from a specification and implementation point. The Controller SDK is still in its early stages, only a few companies have built Matter Controllers. As a result, we've had to develop big parts of it internally, which has extended the timeline for our Matter release.
Additionally, in order to publicly release a Matter device, the device has to go through a rigorous process of testing and then certification.
For example, a light bulb is tested to verify that it can actually be turned on/off, brightness can be controlled and color can be set. A smart plug can be turned on/off. Basically, any possible event is tested and verified to be communicated properly between devices.
For a controller, like the Flic Hub, the test process is very extensive as the controller needs to be tested for every feature of every device type. A controller needs to go through all the test process steps that a lightbulb needs to go through, and then all the test steps for a smart plug, thermostat, robot vacuum, smart-lock, etc.
For every future software update, the test process has to be done all over again so we have automated the test process to simplify future updates.
In this process, we also found multiple errors in the test specification that resulted in getting stuck until it could be resolved by CSA.
Play around and we look forward to getting your feedback!
With Love,
The Flic Team
