Gear News of the Week: Matter 1.5 Adds Smart Home Camera Support, and Gemini Comes to Android Auto

The promise of interoperability for your smart home gadgets that Matter was supposed to bring has been a slow process, but it is starting to deliver, and the addition of cameras in the 1.5 release may be its biggest win yet. The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) says the latest release supports all kinds of cameras, so we’re talking indoor security cameras, outdoor security cameras, video doorbells, baby monitors, and pet cameras.

This could vastly improve a seriously fractured landscape, enabling you to easily add and access your cameras on whatever platform you choose. It’s also something that can potentially be delivered in a software update, so some of the cameras you already own might get Matter support.

You may be worrying about limitations, but the supported feature list is impressive, including video and audio streaming, two-way communication, local and remote access, multiple streams, pan-tilt-zoom controls, and both detection and privacy zones. There’s also support for continuous or event-based recording, either locally or to the cloud. What it won’t handle is how that storage is managed, meaning some camera manufacturers will still require you to use their cloud-based subscription models.

Pleasingly, there are no limitations on resolution, unlike Apple HomeKit Secure Video, or restrictions on AI detection features. Matter is using WebRTC technology, with remote access handled via the STUN and TURN protocols, meaning that manufacturers can choose to implement end-to-end encryption for footage. TCP transport support is designed to allow more efficient and reliable transmission of lots of data, like video cameras produce, which should reduce the load on your Wi-Fi and the impact on camera battery life.

While this is very exciting news and the potential backwards compatibility is laudable, there’s no telling when you’ll see it in a camera in your home. The big trio: Apple, Amazon, and Google have yet to announce any plans to adopt Matter in their cameras.

Matter 1.5 isn’t just about cameras, though—it also revamps support for closures, from garage doors to smart window shades, allowing for different motion types and configurations. There’s soil sensor support, too, to measure moisture and temperature and potentially trigger Matter-based water valves and irrigation systems.

Enhanced energy management features are the final addition. Matter 1.5 enables devices to exchange data on energy pricing, tariffs, and grid operation, enabling you to potentially get a picture of the true cost of your gadgets in energy usage, cost, and carbon impact. EV charging has also been bolstered, with state-of-charge reporting and bi-directional charging that could enable vehicle-to-grid schemes in the future.

While the Matter 1.5 spec is now available, it will take developers a while to adopt it and get their devices certified by the CSA. Expect some announcements at CES 2026. —Simon Hill

Google’s Gemini Rolls Out on Android Auto

Google has been gradually replacing its long-lived Google Assistant with the souped-up Gemini AI chatbot on all its platforms for the past year. After deploying it on its Wear OS smartwatches and, more recently, adding it directly to Google Maps, the company is bringing it to Android Auto. Google says the rollout will take place over the coming months for any Android Auto users who have upgraded from Google Assistant to Gemini on their phones.