I used to say that the smart home was made up of devices and a hub. Now, it’s probably fair to say that a smart home is made up of connected devices and a digital assistant. Most people want a full-blown digital assistant like Alexa, Siri, or Google, not just a cluster of automation software like SmartThings or Hubitat.
In the wake of the Alexa Live conference last week, we now know how Amazon plans to implement the upcoming Matter smart home interoperability protocol. We’re also beginning to understand how the smart home industry will evolve after this protocol — which represents a huge shift for the smart home — is adopted. Here’s what I’m seeing and how the big three players in the smart home are selling their digital assistants.
