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Woot is running a “best of tech” sale until June 24th, and I’m pleasantly surprised there are some good ones among the dreck. My top pick for today is the Belkin BoostCharge Pro with MagSafe, selling for $32.99 ($47 off) — which includes a 27W USB-C power supply at that discounted price. Belkin’s BoostCharge Pro is a fully MagSafe-compliant magnetic charger for iPhone 12, 13, and 14 generations, and it can charge at the full 15W output (12W for the iPhone 12 / 13 Mini) just like Apple’s own MagSafe puck. But it’s better because it has a much longer nylon-wrapped cable and a little collapsible kickstand for watching videos while you charge.
You can get this same charger for slightly cheaper on Amazon right now, but it doesn’t come with the power adapter you need to achieve faster charging speeds. I’ve tested a lot of MagSafe and MagSafe-like magnetic chargers for our buying guide, and this Belkin model remains my top recommendation.
Belkin’s BoostCharge Pro with MagSafe supports 15W fast wireless charging with MagSafe-compatible iPhones and has a lengthy 6.6-foot built-in cable. Its lengthy cable, 15W charging speeds, and little kickstand make the BoostCharge Pro with MagSafe the best all-purpose magnetic charging puck.
Speaking of charging, the Chipofy 6.6-foot USB-C cable with wattage display is on sale for $13.98 (about $4 off) at Amazon. That’s usually a price reserved for special sales events like Prime Day / Black Friday and on limited-time lightning deals.
The handy cable has an LED display built into it that shows the current wattage being delivered to your device. It’s great for ensuring a device is getting the fastest charge it can take, and since the cable outputs up to 100W, you can use it for phones, laptops, tablets, and most anything that charges via USB-C. You can easily find a bunch of similar cables to this one on Amazon, but the Chipofy is one of the few that a bunch of us here at The Verge have purchased and used ourselves, so we feel comfortable giving it a recommendation.
Chipofy’s USB-C to USB-C cable dons an LED display that shows the wattage being delivered to your gadgets. It can charge at up to 100 watts, too, which is enough for many devices to quickly recharge.
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If you’re enjoying Silo on Apple TV Plus, good news: more is on the way. The post-apocalyptic series, based on novels by Hugh Howey, is getting a second season. The show premiered on May 5th and is still airing; the finale streams on June 30th.
The show takes place in the titular silo, an underground facility that houses the last remnants of humanity, shielding them from the desolate landscape outside. Season 1 plays out sort of like a small-town mystery that just so happens to take place at the end of the world. It stars Rebecca Ferguson, Common, Harriet Walter, Chinaza Uche, Avi Nash, David Oyelowo, Rashida Jones, and Tim Robbins.
“We cannot wait for audiences around the world to immerse themselves in the epic world we have created to bring Hugh Howey’s novels to life,” showrunner Graham Yost said in a statement. “Apple has believed in our vision from day one and it’s an honor to have the opportunity to dig deeper into this story and peel back the layers to our characters in the silo.”
Apple has seemingly been a good supporter of mystery series like Silo, renewing the likes of Servance and Servant for multiple seasons, making it easier for viewers to get invested. That’s in contrast to some other streamers that frequently cancel puzzle box shows before they have a chance to really get going.
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The Verge
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The Verge
As we slide into the middle of 2023, the new Matter smart home standard is slowly coming together. Launched over half a year ago, Matter now has a number of devices you can actually buy — a big milestone for a new standard. There is also an (almost) complete rollout of support on the major platforms. We’re mainly just waiting on Amazon, which still only supports a few device types.
However, there are disappointments. There are no new device types since launch, so it’s still largely just plugs, lights, and shades, although we now finally have some smart locks working with Matter. And that cross-ecosystem support that’s such a key part of Matter’s promise is still spotty at best. But, as I’ve heard repeatedly from those involved, changing the infrastructure of the smart home is a journey — not a quick fix.
We’re keeping tabs on everything slated to work with Matter right here, so read on if you are eager to get started with the new common language for smart home devices.
If you’ve got this far and aren’t exactly sure what Matter is, here’s a quick summary:
Matter is a new standard developed by all the major players in the smart home, including Amazon, Apple, Google, Samsung, and more. It’s designed to simplify the smart home and make it easier to buy, set up, and use products. Its primary purpose is to help connected gadgets work with each other across platforms and ecosystems, so you won’t have to look to see if it works with Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, or Google Home when buying a smart gadget.
With Matter, you can control your smart lighting, smart locks, and more simultaneously with any Matter-compatible platform using iOS or Android devices or your voice assistant of choice. So, if you have an iPhone and your roommate has a Google Pixel, you can both control all your smart home devices.
For more details on how Matter will work with each smart home platform, what you will need to get started with Matter, and how Matter actually works, read my explainer, “What Matters about Matter.”
Here, you’ll find a list of Matter-compatible products divided into categories and separated by whether you can buy them now or if they are coming soon. We’ll keep this updated as new information comes out.
The Matter standard provides a common language and a set of actions for smart home devices. Right now, it only supports a few categories of devices, and only certain features are available for each of those categories — although, depending on which platform or app you run them on, you may have access to more features on top of the Matter integration.
As of June 15th, 2023,the following device categories are supported in Matter: light bulbs and light switches; plugs and outlets; locks; thermostats and other HVAC controllers; blinds and shades; sensors (motion, contact); media devices; wireless access points; and bridges (more on these later).
Home appliances (such as fridges and washing machines) and robot vacuums were slated to come in the first update, but Matter 1.1, which was released in May, came and went with no new device types. The Connectivity Standards Alliance, which runs the Matter standard, says the following device types are on the road map but hasn’t provided details on timing:
A Matter controller onboards Matter devices to your home network, controls them, manages communications and automations, and facilitates remote access (when enabled). A Matter controller needs to be a device that is always in your home, always powered, and has a Wi-Fi or ethernet connection to your home network. This means a smartphone won’t work as a Matter controller.
You’ll need a Matter controller for each smart home platform you plan to use; an Apple HomePod or Apple TV for Apple Home, a Google Nest Hub for Google Home, an Amazon device for Alexa and so on. Every major smart home platform has updated its existing hubs and smart speakers to make them Matter controllers. Some controllers are also Thread border routers, which you will need if you add any Thread devices to your home. Thread is one of the main wireless protocols Matter runs over, along with Wi-Fi.
Amazon’s Matter controllers currently only support plugs, switches, and sensors. Spokesperson Connor Rice told The Verge in mid-June that Amazon is adding thermostat and lock support “soon” and plans to add more device categories in the coming months.
Apple Home
Google Home
Samsung SmartThings
Amazon Alexa
Samsung SmartThings
Other platforms
Apple Home
Amazon Alexa
Google Home
Samsung SmartThings
Other platforms
Other platforms
To add Matter devices to a smart home ecosystem, you’ll need to use that platform’s smartphone or tablet app — these act as Matter commissioners, connecting the Matter device to a Matter Controller. The following smart home apps are Matter commissioners and can add and control devices, as well as set up automations and routines. Matter is also built into the latest versions of Android and Apple’s operating systems, enabling apps to access the local infrastructure required by Matter.
*Tuya Smart is an IoT development platform service provider that supports over 446,000 developers with schematics for over 1,100 smart home products, from robot vacuums to smart lights. It already has Matter certification for a number of light bulbs and smart plugs, as well as a Matter controller. Brands that use Tuya include Teckin, Gosund, Nooie, Lidl, and Iotty.
Smart home devices that use a bridge, such as Philips Hue smart bulbs, can be “bridged” into Matter so that their connected devices can be controlled in a Matter smart home platform.
As of June 15th, 2023, only Apple Home fully supports Matter bridges. Google says it’s working with its partners to add bridging support and has added compatibility with Aqara’s M2 hub. Amazon and SmartThings confirmed to The Verge in Aprilthat bridge support isn’t live yet on their controllers but that both companies plan to enable it.
So, even if you have a bridge that’s been updated to Matter, the devices connected to it won’t work in Matter until the platform you are using supports bridges.
If you have a Matter and Thread-enabled Wi-Fi router, you shouldn’t need any other Matter controller in your home, assuming it’s a Matter controller for the platform you want to use. Amazon (which owns Eero) told The Verge it’s bringing Matter support to Eero 6 series devices soon. Google routers are already Thread-enabled and work with Matter.
Most companies that have announced Matter devices say they will start shipping in 2023. When you buy a new product that is compatible with Matter, it will have the Matter logo (it looks a bit like a stick person wearing bikini bottoms). Some manufacturers are adding Matter support to existing devices with over-the-air firmware updates; those devices won't have the Matter logo yet. Below are the products that currently support Matter or will in the future, according to the companies.
As of June 15th, 2023, there are no smart switches with Matter support enabled.
As of June 2023, there are no home appliances or televisions that work as Matter devices (some Samsung refrigerators and TVs are Matter controllers, see above). Several manufacturers have promised Matter support in some upcoming and existing products.
You will need a Matter controller from the platform you’re using to set up a Matter device. If the device uses Thread, you will also need a Thread border router (this does not have to be platform-specific).
Matter uses numeric and QR setup codes over Bluetooth to add a device to your network. Open your smart home platform or device maker’s app, scan the QR code or manually enter the numeric code written on the device, and follow the prompts.
NFC pairing will be an option for some devices, letting you tap the device with your phone. And some platforms will support auto-detection, so your phone will just see there is a device ready to be paired and prompt you to add it.
Once your device is set up in one platform, you can add it to other apps and platforms using Matter’s multi-admin feature (up to five). The process of sharing is similar to onboarding, but you don’t have to have the device in hand.
Access the pairing code from the device settings in the app you first set it up with. Go through the steps to add a new device to the new platform, then scan or copy and paste that code when prompted.
Once paired to another platform, you can now control that device from both platforms simultaneously.
Last Updated June 15th, 2023, at 3:30PM ET: This list is updated regularly as new Matter devices launch or are announced.
