The latest Matter 1.4 protocol reduces drain on smart home devices' batteries. The update includes new tools to manage large smart devices such as water heaters and heat pumps. Eco-friendly impacts include reduced battery waste and energy consumption.

While many devices featuring enhancements in the 1.4 release already supported Matter, features have been limited. The current release adds more automation capabilities and gives users more control over their smart home devices through Matter.

The Apple-backed Matter smart home standard just launched version 1.4 with support for new device types and a lot more.

The Connectivity Standards Alliance has finalized the Matter 1.4 spec, releasing it to accessory makers and platforms like Apple Home with several new device types and improvements.