Matter devices talk over your existing IP network. Wi-Fi and Ethernet Matter plugs and bulbs join the same LAN as Home Assistant. Thread Matter sensors and locks join a low-power mesh, and a Thread border router bridges that mesh to your LAN. In both cases Home Assistant runs its own Matter controller: the Matter Server app on Home Assistant OS.
Aqara’s Smart Lock U600 is on sale in the UK for £229.99. It is built for British multipoint doors on uPVC, composite and timber frames, and it speaks Matter over Thread with Apple Home Key and Samsung Wallet Key. Coverage on 14 October 2026 put the lock on Amazon.co.uk and Aqara’s UK channels at that price.
Google's release notes for 14 October 2026 include a change that Philips Hue owners will notice: existing Hue bridges linked to Google Home are upgraded in the background to local Matter control through Google Home hubs. Google promises faster responses and better reliability, and you do not have to re-pair anything.
On 13 October 2026 Apple announced Apple Home Collection: cameras, a video doorbell, a deadbolt, thermostats and room sensors designed with LG Electronics and Schneider Electric. Setup starts with an NFC tap from iPhone; control stays in the Apple Home app with no separate vendor account. Sales begin in December, with some accessories in early 2027
Apple announced HomeView on 13 October 2026: a 7-inch Liquid Retina smart display meant as a household hub for entertainment, FaceTime and Apple Home control. Tabletop and wall-mounted models both start at $299 (U.S.). Pre-orders opened the same day in several markets, with shipping from 13 November. The device is not for sale in the European Union
LEDVANCE, the lighting company spun out of OSRAM in 2016, joined the Works with Home Assistant program on 13 October 2026 with 116 certified devices. Every one of them connects through Matter over Wi-Fi, so you need no Zigbee coordinator, Thread border router or vendor hub to add them to Home Assistant. The products are sold in the OSRAM SMART+ ran
Ubiquiti has released UniFi Network Application 11.0.83 as a release candidate, and the item smart home users will notice is "Matter Thread Device Monitoring". UniFi can now commission Matter-over-Thread devices and show their status and connectivity next to your Wi-Fi and Ethernet clients. LazyAdmin covered the release on 12 October 2026, and Matt
Shelly pushed Wall Display firmware 2.8.0 to the stable channel on 11 October 2026. Modern panels become both a Matter controller and a Matter accessory. You commission third-party Matter devices on the display, put them on the same home screen as Shelly tiles, and you can also add the panel itself to Apple Home, Google Home, SmartThings, Home Assi
Home Assistant Core 2026.10.1 landed on 10 October 2026, three days after 2026.10.0. It is a bug-fix patch in the usual weekly cadence: no new headline features, but several fixes that matter if you updated early to the October release.
