First Matter Smart Plug Goes On Sale
The new Matter smart home standard launched to device makers in October and smart home company Meross has announced one of the first compatible products; a smart plug that works with Matter straight out of the box, meaning it is compatible with HomeKit, Alexa, Google Home, and SmartThings. Meross’ Matter Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini (MSS115) is available for pre-order today and ships on December 31 for $49.99. The company is offering 50% off of pre-orders.
The NPD Take:
- Smart plugs are a notable starting point for Matter as the products are affordable and are often among the first smart home products consumers bring into the home.
- Though Meross has committed to supporting Matter going forward, the company says its existing products will not be upgraded, since the company’s other offerings already work with the major smart home ecosystems.
GE Unveils a Smart Mixer
Just in time for CES, GE Appliances has announced a new connected stand mixer that has a variety of features from a smart scale to Alexa and Google Assistant integration. The GE Profile Smart Mixer with Auto Sense starts at $999 and is available exclusively at Crate & Barrel. The product puts its smarts to use in helping bakers make doughs which the mixer can detect for changes in texture and viscosity (helping it know when to stop mixing).
The NPD Take:
- While smart appliances have been on the market for several years now, the usefulness of their connectivity has always been a question. The GE Profile Smart Mixer employs sensors and connectivity to help bakers make better pastries, breads, and desserts as opposed to just adding connectivity to say the product is smart.
- The mixer joins products like Whirlpool’s WLabs Smart Oven which uses AI and sensors to detect what foods are in the appliance and the temperature and length of time to cook them.
- Smart appliances are still a very nascent sector of consumer electronics, however products like these are using the technology to drive value back into the appliance’s core use case.