Project CHIP Will Revolutionize Smart Homes (6 Things to Watch for in 2021)

The smart home world is about to get a major upgrade, all thanks to Project CHIP, or Connected Home Over IP (recently rebranded as Matter).

If you’ve set up any smart devices in the last decade or so, you’ve probably noticed that compatibility is kind of a problem. Devices with older standards like Zigbee aren’t supported by newer hubs, so you always have to be aware of which voice assistants work with which devices – and brands don’t always build their smart devices to “talk” to other platforms, which means you often end up juggling several different apps to get home automation where you need it.

That’s changing, and it’s about to start changing much faster with Project CHIP (Matter), a joint effort from Apple, Amazon, Samsung, Google, and many more to get this smart home mess cleared up once and for all.

CHIP is designed to be a standard for smart home devices to communicate with each other, no matter who makes them (yes, even older standards like Zigbee are supported), thanks to clear protocols for Bluetooth LE, Wi-Fi, and the Thread communication standard for low-bandwidth devices.

We could start seeing the first CHIP devices as early as this year! While CHIP partners are keeping quiet about what specific manufacturers are taking part, reports are surfacing about what devices are being created. Continue reading to see what you can expect to show up sporting CHIP certification in the coming year.