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Introduction: The Smart Home Has a Compatibility Problem
The dream of the smart home has always been simple: buy a device, connect it, and make it work with everything else. The reality has been very different. Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, proprietary cloud platforms, infrared and countless manufacturer-specific ecosystems have created a fragmented landscape where perfectly good devices can become difficult to use simply because they speak the “wrong” language.
That is why Athom’s latest Homey announcement matters. Homey has officially achieved Matter 1.5 certification for its software component, covering Homey Pro (2023–2026), Homey Pro mini and Homey Self-Hosted Server. The certification was recorded by the Connectivity Standards Alliance with firmware version 13.3.0 and a June 29, 2026 certification date.
The Bigger Story: Homey Wants to Make Compatibility Invisible
Matter was created to reduce the number of compatibility barriers between smart-home products. But Matter itself does not magically make every existing device compatible. Millions of homes already contain older lights, sensors, switches, thermostats and appliances that use technologies other than Matter.
Homey’s strategy is therefore particularly interesting: rather than asking consumers to throw away their existing hardware, it can act as a translator between different technologies and Matter-based ecosystems. That makes the Homey approach less about replacing the smart home and more about preserving it while gradually modernizing it.
Matter 1.5: A Significant Step Beyond Basic Smart Devices
Matter 1.5 is not simply another maintenance release. The Connectivity Standards Alliance introduced new capabilities covering areas such as cameras, closures, soil sensors and expanded energy-management functionality. The standard is increasingly moving beyond simple light bulbs and plugs toward the larger infrastructure of the home.
For Homey, that evolution is especially relevant because the platform has always positioned itself as an automation and energy-management hub rather than merely a smart-lighting controller. The arrival of Matter 1.5 therefore aligns with Homey’s broader ambition to bring energy devices and household systems into the same automation environment.
What the Homey Certification Actually Covers
The certification applies to Homey Pro from the 2023–2026 generation, Homey Pro mini and Homey Self-Hosted Server. The CSA listing identifies Homey as a software component, with firmware version 13.3.0 and Matter specification version 1.5.
That distinction is important. Matter certification does not mean that every Matter 1.5 device category or every optional feature is automatically supported in every possible configuration. Certification demonstrates that the submitted implementation has passed the applicable Matter certification process; real-world compatibility can still depend on device type, feature implementation, network configuration and the receiving smart-home ecosystem.
Firmware 13.3.0 Is the Key Upgrade
Homey’s Matter 1.5 implementation arrives through firmware version 13.3.0. That gives existing compatible Homey installations a path toward the newer Matter capabilities without requiring consumers to replace the hub itself. The same firmware version is identified in the official CSA certification record.
This is one of the most important aspects of the announcement because software certification can extend the useful life of hardware. A smart-home hub becomes significantly more valuable when its capabilities can evolve through software instead of being frozen at the specifications available when it was purchased.
Energy Management Could Be the Real Breakthrough
The most strategically important part of Matter 1.5 may not be lights, locks or sensors. It may be energy.
Modern homes increasingly contain solar panels, batteries, EV chargers, heat pumps and high-consumption appliances. These devices can produce enormous amounts of useful information, but historically that information has often remained trapped inside manufacturer-specific applications.
Matter’s expanding energy capabilities create a path toward standardizing at least some of those interactions. Homey says its Matter 1.5 implementation adds support for energy-focused categories including EV chargers, heat pumps, solar panels and major appliances.
Why Energy Integration Matters More Than Another Smart Bulb
A smart bulb is convenient. An intelligently managed EV charger can potentially affect hundreds or thousands of dollars of household energy consumption over time.
Imagine an automation that considers solar production, household demand, electricity prices and the current state of an EV before deciding when to charge the vehicle. The value of that automation is considerably greater than simply turning a lamp on at sunset.
This is where Homey’s combination of automation and Matter becomes particularly compelling. The platform can potentially become the layer that connects consumer-facing smart-home controls with the increasingly complex energy systems inside modern houses.
Homey’s Secret Weapon Is Not Matter Alone
Homey’s greatest advantage is arguably not its Matter certification. It is the fact that Matter is only one part of its connectivity architecture.
Homey supports multiple technologies, including Zigbee, Z-Wave, infrared, Bluetooth, 433 MHz, Wi-Fi and various APIs, alongside Matter. Homey Pro and Homey Pro mini also include Thread Border Router functionality.
That creates an unusual proposition: instead of building a home around one communications standard, users can build around a central automation platform capable of understanding many standards simultaneously.
The Bridge Between Old and New
This is where Homey’s Matter Bridge becomes particularly valuable.
Through the Matter Bridge app, supported devices connected to Homey can be exposed to other Matter controllers, including Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings and Home Assistant. Supported device representations include lights, sockets, thermostats, locks, blinds and curtains, door and window sensors, environmental sensors and other categories.
The practical effect is simple: a device does not necessarily need to speak Matter natively to become useful inside a Matter ecosystem.
Turning Legacy Hardware Into a Modern Asset
Consider someone who has spent years building a smart home around Zigbee or Z-Wave. Replacing dozens of functioning devices just because a newer standard has appeared would be wasteful, expensive and environmentally questionable.
Homey provides another option.
The existing devices can remain connected to Homey using their native technology, while Homey can expose compatible functionality through Matter to another platform. The user can therefore modernize the control layer without necessarily rebuilding the physical smart home from scratch.
Apple Home Users Have a Particularly Interesting Use Case
For Apple users, this could be one of Homey’s most attractive capabilities.
Apple has supported Matter since iOS 16.1, allowing Matter accessories to work alongside HomeKit-based accessories and appear within Apple Home.
That means Homey can potentially serve as a compatibility layer for people who prefer Apple Home as their everyday interface but own devices that Apple Home does not natively understand.
The result is a more flexible arrangement: Homey handles the complexity in the background while Apple Home can remain the interface the household actually uses.
Thread Is Another Important Piece of the Puzzle
Matter over Thread is increasingly important because Thread is designed for low-power mesh networking and is particularly useful for battery-powered smart-home devices.
Homey Pro and Homey Pro mini include built-in Thread Border Routers, allowing them to participate in Thread networks without requiring users to purchase another dedicated Border Router.
Homey Self-Hosted Server is different. Because it is software running on the user’s own hardware, Matter-over-Thread requires an available Thread Border Router on the local network.
Self-Hosted Homey Changes the Equation
Homey Self-Hosted Server is particularly interesting for advanced users because it moves Homey away from the traditional “buy a box and plug it in” model.
The software can run on platforms including Raspberry Pi, Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Proxmox, TrueNAS, QNAP, Synology and Unraid.
That gives technically inclined users greater control over their infrastructure, although it also means that they take responsibility for maintaining the host system.
Local-First Architecture Is Increasingly Valuable
Homey’s emphasis on local processing is also significant in a world where consumers are becoming increasingly uncomfortable with smart-home systems that depend entirely on remote cloud servers.
Homey Pro mini, for example, is designed to process its core smart-home functions locally, with cloud services used where necessary. Homey Self-Hosted Server naturally pushes this philosophy even further because the software runs on hardware controlled by the user.
Local processing can mean lower latency, better resilience during internet outages and greater control over where automation logic operates.
Matter Does Not Eliminate Every Smart-Home Problem
There is an important caveat, however.
Matter is an interoperability standard, not a universal translation machine for every proprietary feature. A device may expose basic functions through Matter while keeping advanced manufacturer-specific capabilities inside its own ecosystem.
This means users should not assume that bridging a device through Homey will reproduce every feature available in the original manufacturer’s application.
Certification Is Important, But It Is Not a Guarantee of Perfection
Matter certification provides a meaningful level of assurance because it means the implementation has gone through a defined certification process. The CSA listing confirms Homey’s Matter 1.5 software certification and testing status.
But certification does not tell us everything about long-term performance inside a complicated real-world home containing dozens or hundreds of devices, multiple Thread routers, congested Wi-Fi networks and several Matter ecosystems.
In other words, certification is a strong technical milestone, not a promise that every possible installation will be flawless.
The Matter Version Race Is Becoming More Complicated
The original article presents Homey’s Matter 1.5 certification as putting it ahead of major smart-home platforms. That is directionally understandable, but the comparison needs some nuance.
A platform can have a newer certified Matter implementation without every consumer-facing device category being immediately available. Conversely, an ecosystem can support specific newer capabilities without publicly presenting a simple “Matter version number” that tells the whole story.
Google’s developer ecosystem, for example, has historically exposed support for specific Matter device types and features rather than making the Matter specification number alone a perfect measure of consumer functionality.
The Home Assistant Comparison Is Also More Nuanced
Home Assistant officially obtained Matter certification in 2025, with its Matter implementation based on the 1.3 specification at the time. The project described certification as covering the Matter 1.3 device types it had implemented.
That does not make Home Assistant technologically “behind” in every respect. Open-source projects can implement individual features, device types and updates at different speeds from the formal specification version.
The more useful comparison is therefore not simply 1.5 versus 1.3. The better question is: Which device categories, commands, attributes and automation capabilities actually work for the user’s devices?
Homey’s Real Competitive Advantage
Homey’s strongest proposition is its ability to sit between generations of smart-home technology.
A user can have an older Z-Wave door lock, a Zigbee sensor, a 433 MHz remote-controlled device, a Wi-Fi appliance, a Matter light and a Thread sensor—and potentially bring them together under one automation system.
That is much closer to the original dream of the smart home than simply putting a Matter logo on another light bulb.
Why This Could Be a Big Deal for Existing Smart Homes
The installed base is the elephant in the room.
Consumers have already spent billions on smart-home devices. Many of those products work perfectly well. The industry cannot realistically expect everyone to replace their equipment every time a new protocol version appears.
Bridging therefore becomes a sustainability strategy as much as a convenience feature.
Keeping an existing device operational for another five years is often more valuable than replacing it simply because the next-generation standard has arrived.
Matter Could Eventually Become the Universal Language
The long-term vision is attractive.
Imagine a future where a user does not care whether a device uses Thread, Wi-Fi, Zigbee or another local protocol underneath. The consumer simply sees the device in the preferred smart-home ecosystem.
Matter would become the common language at the application layer, while hubs such as Homey would manage the complexity underneath.
That future is not completely here yet—but Homey’s architecture points in that direction.
Deep Analysis: Commands for Understanding What Comes Next
COMMAND 01 — WATCH THE ENERGY MARKET
The biggest opportunity created by Matter 1.5 may be the convergence of smart homes and energy management. EVs, solar systems, batteries and heat pumps are becoming increasingly interconnected, creating a demand for automation that goes far beyond lighting.
COMMAND 02 — FOLLOW THE EV CHARGER
EV charging is one of the most obvious use cases for intelligent home automation. A platform that can combine charger status, household consumption, solar generation and electricity pricing could eventually make charging decisions automatically.
COMMAND 03 — TEST THE BRIDGE
The real-world value of Homey should be measured by how reliably it bridges older devices into modern ecosystems. The number of supported protocols is impressive, but reliability and feature preservation are ultimately more important than a specification sheet.
COMMAND 04 — WATCH THREAD
Matter and Thread are becoming increasingly intertwined in the consumer smart-home conversation. Homey’s built-in Thread Border Router capability on Pro and Pro mini reduces the amount of infrastructure users need to purchase separately.
COMMAND 05 — PROTECT THE LEGACY
Legacy devices should not automatically be treated as obsolete. A successful smart-home platform should make older hardware useful for as long as possible.
COMMAND 06 — QUESTION CLOUD DEPENDENCE
Local-first automation deserves increasing attention. When an automation can run locally, the home becomes less dependent on external servers and internet connectivity.
COMMAND 07 — COMPARE FEATURES, NOT NUMBERS
Do not judge ecosystems purely by Matter version. Matter 1.5 certification is impressive, but users should examine exactly which device categories and features are implemented.
COMMAND 08 — WATCH APPLE HOME
Apple Home remains an important destination for users who want a simple interface combined with privacy-focused ecosystem design. Homey’s Matter Bridge can help bring otherwise incompatible hardware into that environment.
COMMAND 09 — WATCH GOOGLE HOME
Google’s approach demonstrates why Matter version numbers can be misleading. Certification and actual consumer-facing support are related but not identical concepts.
COMMAND 10 — WATCH HOME ASSISTANT
Home Assistant remains an important benchmark because of its open-source approach and deep automation capabilities. Its Matter implementation demonstrates that certification is increasingly becoming achievable beyond traditional hardware manufacturers.
COMMAND 11 — THINK MULTI-ADMIN
Matter’s multi-admin capabilities are one of its most powerful concepts. The future smart home should not require consumers to choose one ecosystem forever.
COMMAND 12 — EXPECT MORE BRIDGES
As ecosystems mature, bridging will likely become more common. The ability to translate devices between systems could become as important as native Matter support.
COMMAND 13 — VALUE LOCAL CONTROL
Local control can reduce latency and increase resilience. For critical automations such as heating, security and energy management, this can be more meaningful than flashy cloud features.
COMMAND 14 — LOOK BEYOND LIGHTING
Smart lighting was the gateway drug of home automation. Energy management, climate control and transportation may become the next major growth areas.
COMMAND 15 — FOLLOW HEAT PUMPS
Heat pumps can consume significant amounts of electricity and are increasingly important to residential energy strategies. Standardized data and control could eventually make them much easier to integrate.
COMMAND 16 — WATCH SOLAR
Solar generation introduces a completely different automation model. Instead of merely responding to events, the home can respond to energy availability.
COMMAND 17 — WATCH BATTERIES
Residential batteries could become central to smart-home automation. The ability to decide when to charge, discharge or preserve stored energy is an obvious automation opportunity.
COMMAND 18 — THINK IN SYSTEMS
The smartest home will not be a collection of isolated smart products. It will be an interconnected system where devices understand context.
COMMAND 19 — TEST FAILURE MODES
A serious smart-home evaluation should ask what happens when Wi-Fi disappears, the internet goes down, a Thread device becomes unreachable or a bridge restarts.
COMMAND 20 — MEASURE RECOVERY
Reliability is not only about whether a device works. It is about whether the system recovers gracefully after something goes wrong.
COMMAND 21 — WATCH FIRMWARE
Matter’s evolution means firmware updates are becoming strategically important. A device purchased today can potentially gain meaningful functionality later.
COMMAND 22 — KEEP OLD HARDWARE
If Homey can continue bridging older protocols successfully, consumers may have fewer reasons to discard perfectly functional equipment.
COMMAND 23 — WATCH CERTIFICATION
Certification is becoming an increasingly useful signal when comparing smart-home platforms, particularly as Matter becomes more sophisticated.
COMMAND 24 — BUT READ THE DETAILS
A certification badge should never replace technical documentation. The exact device types and features supported remain critical.
COMMAND 25 — THINK BEYOND THE HUB
The hub is becoming less visible to consumers, but its role may actually become more important. A good hub hides complexity rather than forcing users to understand it.
COMMAND 26 — WATCH AUTOMATION ENGINES
Connectivity alone is not enough. The real value appears when standardized devices can participate in sophisticated automation rules.
COMMAND 27 — FOLLOW PRIVACY
Local-first architectures could become a major selling point as consumers become more aware of how much information smart homes generate.
COMMAND 28 — WATCH OPEN STANDARDS
The broader Matter ecosystem benefits when companies compete on products and experiences rather than locking users into incompatible protocols.
COMMAND 29 — EXPECT SLOW ADOPTION
Matter is moving quickly, but the installed base of non-Matter devices is enormous. Transitioning the smart home will take years.
COMMAND 30 — LOOK FOR HYBRID HOMES
For the foreseeable future, the typical smart home will probably contain Matter, Zigbee, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi and proprietary devices simultaneously.
COMMAND 31 — HOMEY FITS THAT REALITY
Homey is particularly well positioned for this transitional period because its architecture was designed around multiple protocols rather than a single standard.
COMMAND 32 — WATCH THE SELF-HOSTED MODEL
Self-hosting could appeal to users who want greater control over their smart-home infrastructure, especially enthusiasts who already operate home servers.
COMMAND 33 — ACCEPT THE TRADE-OFF
Self-hosting also transfers responsibility to the user. Hardware maintenance, updates and network configuration become part of the experience.
COMMAND 34 — TRACK DEVICE SUPPORT
The number of compatible devices will remain one of the most important factors determining whether a bridge is genuinely useful.
COMMAND 35 — WATCH MANUFACTURERS
The more manufacturers adopt Matter, the less important bridging will become for new devices—but the more important it may remain for legacy hardware.
COMMAND 36 — EXPECT MATTER TO EXPAND
The Matter specification is designed to continue expanding into more categories and use cases. The CSA describes Matter 1.5 as a major expansion beyond earlier versions.
COMMAND 37 —
No standard can eliminate every proprietary feature. Consumers should expect some functions to remain inside manufacturer-specific applications.
COMMAND 38 — MEASURE REAL VALUE
The best smart-home platform is not necessarily the one with the newest certification. It is the one that makes the user’s actual devices work reliably together.
COMMAND 39 — WATCH
Matter 1.5 should be viewed as a foundation rather than an endpoint. The interesting question is how aggressively Athom will use the new capabilities in future automation features.
COMMAND 40 — THINK OF HOMEY AS TRANSLATION INFRASTRUCTURE
Ultimately,
What Undercode Say:
01 — Matter Is Finally Becoming Bigger Than Light Bulbs
The smart-home industry is moving from basic accessories toward energy, climate and infrastructure. That makes Matter increasingly relevant to the physical systems that actually affect household costs.
02 — Homey Is Playing the Long Game
Athom does not need every existing device to become Matter-native. It can make Homey the compatibility layer that keeps older technology useful.
03 — The Bridge Is the Real Product
Matter certification attracts attention, but bridging may be what actually keeps users loyal to Homey. A hub that can translate multiple protocols is difficult to replace once an entire home depends on it.
04 — Legacy Compatibility Is a Competitive Weapon
Older devices are not disappearing. The company that makes them useful inside modern ecosystems can create substantial long-term value.
05 — Matter 1.5 Arrives at the Right Time
The standard is expanding just as households are adopting EVs, solar, batteries and smarter HVAC equipment. That timing could make the new energy capabilities particularly important.
06 — Energy Will Change Home Automation
The next generation of automation will increasingly answer questions such as “When should I charge?” rather than simply “Should I turn this light on?”
07 — EVs Could Become Smart-Home Devices
An EV is effectively a huge energy asset sitting in a driveway. Connecting it to the home automation system opens enormous possibilities.
08 — Solar Makes Automation Predictive
A smart home can potentially react to energy production rather than simply following a clock. That is a fundamental change in automation philosophy.
09 — Matter Reduces Ecosystem Anxiety
Consumers are more willing to buy smart products when they believe those products can remain useful even if they later change their preferred ecosystem.
10 — Homey Benefits From That Psychology
Homey’s multi-protocol architecture gives users a reason to view the platform as long-term infrastructure rather than a disposable accessory.
11 — Apple Users Get a Valuable Escape Hatch
People who prefer Apple Home do not necessarily have to abandon devices that Apple does not directly support. A bridge can provide another route into the ecosystem.
12 — Google Users Face Similar Fragmentation
Google Home also benefits from interoperability, but actual device support can vary by device category and implementation. This reinforces the importance of looking beyond version numbers.
13 — Home Assistant Keeps the Competition Honest
Home
14 — Certification Has Real Value
The CSA certification provides a meaningful technical milestone. It is much stronger evidence than a marketing statement that a platform is “compatible.”
15 — Certification Still Has Limits
A certified implementation can encounter problems in complex real-world networks. Stability, recovery and scalability require continued testing outside the certification laboratory.
16 — Thread Is Becoming Infrastructure
Thread is moving from an obscure networking technology toward one of the important foundations beneath Matter.
17 — Border Routers Matter
Having a Thread Border Router built into Homey Pro and Homey Pro mini removes one additional piece of infrastructure from the user’s shopping list.
18 — Self-Hosting Appeals to Power Users
Homey Self-Hosted Server gives enthusiasts an alternative to dedicated hardware, but that flexibility comes with maintenance responsibilities.
19 — Local Control Is Becoming More Important
A smart home that remains functional during an internet outage is fundamentally more resilient than one that depends on a remote server for every decision.
20 — Privacy Is Part of the Value
The home produces highly sensitive behavioral data. Local processing can reduce the amount of information that needs to leave the home.
21 — The Hub Is Not Dead
Matter was sometimes presented as a future where hubs would become unnecessary. In reality, complex homes still benefit from coordination, translation and automation.
22 — Matter May Actually Make Hubs More Powerful
A hub can become the translator between proprietary protocols and standardized Matter interfaces, giving it a more sophisticated role.
23 — Compatibility Is More Valuable Than Novelty
Consumers rarely care which protocol a thermostat uses. They care whether it works when they need it.
24 — The Best Platform Hides Complexity
If Homey succeeds, users will not think about Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread or Matter. They will simply create automations and expect them to work.
25 — Matter Is Still a Work in Progress
The standard continues to evolve, and new device categories are still being incorporated. Matter 1.5 itself demonstrates how far the specification has expanded since its original release.
26 — Device Support Will Remain Fragmented
Different platforms can support different portions of the specification. A Matter logo therefore does not guarantee identical behavior everywhere.
27 — Feature Mapping Is the Hidden Problem
A device may have dozens of capabilities while Matter exposes only a subset of them. Bridges have to decide how those capabilities are represented.
28 — That Is Where
The quality of the translation layer can determine whether a bridged device feels native or merely functional.
29 — Energy Could Become
Homey already emphasizes energy monitoring and automation. Matter 1.5 gives that strategy a broader standardized foundation.
30 — Smart Homes Could Become Energy Managers
The ultimate goal is not a house filled with connected gadgets. It is a house capable of intelligently managing its resources.
31 — EV Charging Is an Obvious Starting Point
Cars, chargers and household energy systems are increasingly interconnected. Standardized control could make automation significantly easier.
32 — Heat Pumps Add Another Layer
Heating and cooling are among the largest energy consumers in many homes. Integrating them with energy data could create meaningful savings opportunities.
33 — Solar Adds Timing Intelligence
Solar generation varies throughout the day. Smart automation can potentially align flexible consumption with production.
34 — Batteries Could Complete the Loop
With solar, batteries and controllable loads, a home could eventually behave more like a small energy-management system.
35 — Matter Could Become the Common Language
The
36 — Homey Is Well Positioned During the Transition
The industry is unlikely to switch overnight from legacy protocols to Matter. Hybrid systems will dominate for years.
37 — Homey Was Built for Hybrid Systems
Its multi-protocol approach gives it a natural advantage while the industry is between generations.
38 — The Competition Will Respond
If Homey begins gaining attention because of Matter 1.5, larger ecosystems will have strong incentives to expand their own support for newer Matter capabilities.
39 — Consumers Ultimately Win
Competition around interoperability should encourage better compatibility, more device choice and longer product lifetimes.
40 — The Biggest Winner Could Be the Smart Home Itself
If Matter and platforms such as Homey succeed, the industry could finally move closer to the original promise of smart-home technology: devices that work together without forcing consumers to understand the technical barriers underneath.
✅ Fact: Homey Has Matter 1.5 Certification
The Connectivity Standards Alliance lists Homey as a Matter 1.5 software component with firmware version 13.3.0 and a certification date of June 29, 2026.
This directly confirms the central claim behind the announcement.
✅ Fact: The Certification Covers Homey Pro, Homey Pro Mini and Self-Hosted Server
Athom states that the certification applies to Homey Pro (2023–2026), Homey Pro mini and Homey Self-Hosted Server.
The official Homey announcement and CSA certification record support this scope.
✅ Fact: Firmware 13.3.0 Is Associated With the Certification
The CSA product listing identifies firmware version 13.3.0 for the certified Homey software component.
This makes the firmware claim substantially stronger than an unsupported release-note reference.
✅ Fact: Matter 1.5 Expands Energy Capabilities
Matter 1.5 introduced new capabilities and device categories, including expanded energy-management functionality.
The Connectivity Standards Alliance specifically identifies energy management among the major areas expanded by the release.
✅ Fact: Homey Can Bridge Devices to Major Smart-Home Ecosystems
Homey’s Matter Bridge is designed to expose supported Homey-connected devices to Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings and Home Assistant.
The official Matter Bridge documentation lists supported device categories and these receiving platforms.
⚠️ Fact With Important Qualification: Matter 1.5 Means Every Matter 1.5 Device Will Work Everywhere
Certification does not mean every Matter 1.5 device category, optional feature or proprietary capability is automatically supported by every platform.
Actual interoperability depends on the implementation, supported device types and the features exposed by the receiving ecosystem.
❌ Claim: A Matter Version Number Alone Determines Which Platform Is “Best”
A newer Matter specification number is not enough to determine the overall quality or capability of a smart-home platform.
Device coverage, automation, stability, local control, ecosystem integration and implementation details matter just as much.
Prediction
(+1) Energy Automation Will Become the Next Major Smart-Home Battleground
As EVs, solar panels, batteries and heat pumps become more common, consumers will increasingly want their smart homes to manage energy rather than merely control lights and switches.
(+1) Homey Will Strengthen Its Position as a Compatibility Layer
Homey’s ability to combine Matter with Zigbee, Z-Wave, Thread, Bluetooth, infrared, 433 MHz and other technologies gives it a strong strategic position during the industry’s transition toward Matter.
(+1) Matter Bridges Will Become More Important
Even if most new devices eventually ship with Matter, millions of older products will remain installed. Translation between legacy protocols and modern ecosystems will therefore remain valuable for many years.
(+1) Apple Home Users Could Become an Important Homey Audience
Users who prefer Apple’s interface but own non-Matter hardware have a clear reason to consider a bridge-based platform that can expose supported devices through Matter.
(+1) Local-First Smart Homes Will Gain Momentum
Growing concerns about reliability, privacy and cloud dependency should increase interest in systems that can perform important automation locally.
(+1) Smart Homes Will Become Energy Systems
The ultimate evolution of the smart home is unlikely to be more gadgets. It will be intelligent coordination between heating, transportation, electricity generation, storage and everyday consumption.
(-1) Matter Fragmentation Will Not Disappear Overnight
Even with rapid development, different platforms will continue implementing different device categories and features at different speeds.
(-1) Some Proprietary Features Will Remain Locked Away
Matter can standardize common functionality, but manufacturers still have incentives to preserve advanced features inside their own applications and ecosystems.
(-1) Complexity Could Shift Instead of Disappear
Consumers may eventually stop worrying about Zigbee versus Z-Wave, only to encounter new questions around Thread networks, Matter fabrics, bridges and multi-admin configurations.
Final Verdict: Homey Is Turning Compatibility Into a Feature
Homey’s Matter 1.5 certification is more than another protocol update. It represents a strategic bet on a future in which smart homes will contain a mixture of old and new technologies for a very long time.
The strongest part of the announcement is therefore not simply that Homey now carries the Matter 1.5 label. It is that Homey is attempting to make that new standard useful without forcing consumers to abandon everything they already own.
That is a powerful idea.
Matter may eventually become the common language of the smart home, but there will always be devices speaking older languages. A platform capable of translating between those worlds could become one of the most important pieces of smart-home infrastructure.
With Homey Pro, Homey Pro mini and Homey Self-Hosted Server now certified for Matter 1.5, Athom has positioned itself directly in that transition. The next question is no longer whether Homey can connect different generations of smart-home technology—it is how far Athom can push that capability into energy management, automation and the truly intelligent home.
For consumers, that could mean something refreshingly simple: keep the devices that still work, add the technology you want tomorrow, and let the software handle the complicated part in between.
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